Item 1 of 1
Never take a shark to the dentist (and other things not to do) -
by Judi Barrett ; with art by John Nickle.
Contributor biographical information
Publisher description
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2008.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 23 x 26 cm.
Annotations:
- A list of things one should not do with various animals, such as "hold hands with a lobster."
004-008.
Best Books:
- Kids Reading List, 2008 ; Oprah/ALSC; New Releases; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, February 4, 2008 ; Cahners; United States
Horn Book Guide:
- Fall 2008 Picture Books Rating 3, Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.
Reviews:
- Randall Enos (Booklist, Apr. 1, 2008 (Vol. 104, No. 15))
Barrett, the author of such popular books as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (1978), presents examples of experiences with animals that one should largely avoid. Although she suggests it’s OK to go shopping with a pelican, it’s not good to take a giraffe to the movies (the page unfolds to accommodate the giraffe’s long neck) or go to the shoe store with a centipede. Some reasons for caution seem obvious (nobody need ants at a picnic); others are more dependent on the illustrations. Young viewers will appreciate the structural consistency of the book. A statement declaring what one shouldn’t do appears on the left-hand page, opposite a full-page illustration showing the consequences of ignoring the advice. The colorful acrylic illustrations are populated entirely with animals, often oddly juxtaposed. Yet the very incongruity, along with the animals’ various antics and the expressions on the characters’ faces are all part of the fun and fit perfectly with the droll humor of the concept. This is sure to be another crowd-pleaser. Preschool-Grade 2Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 1))
Nearly 40 years since Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing (1970), Barrett is still dispensing similarly ageless wisdom—cautioning readers, here, against inviting ants to a picnic, shopping for shoes with a centipede, holding hands with a lobster and similar efforts to socialize with wild animals. Nickle's sophisticated, precisely detailed illustrations exploit the droll possibilities of each apothegm. A subway-riding porcupine gets up, for instance, leaving a sheaf of quills in his neighbor (an indignant anteater), the aforementioned centipede is gleefully whipping out a charge card to buy different shoes for each pair of feet, and the problem with taking a giraffe to the movies is plainly revealed in an upward-opening gatefold. A final positive after the litany of "nevers"—"Always <\b>go shopping with a pelican"—provides tidy closure to this latest distillation of good advice. 2008, Atheneum, 34p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 5 to 7. © 2008 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.Cheryl Whitmore Stevens (Library Media Connection, September 2008)
This book tells the reader things one should never do, such as sitting next to a porcupine on the subway or go shopping for shoes with a centipede. Using bright, full-page pictures to illustrate the brief, straightforward text, the author and illustrator work together to bring the story to life. Some of the spreads, such as "You should never take a giraffe to the movies," help the reader make the connections between the text and the illustrations. However, the connections on many other pages are not so obvious. While the idea behind the book is a good one, it misses the mark. Additional Selection. 2008, Atheneum (Simon & Schuster), 34pp., $16.99 hc.. Ages 5 to 8.Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2008)
Kids will immediately absorb the wisdom of the pithy, emphatic rules laid down here: "NEVER sit next to a porcupine on the subway," "NEVER take a giraffe to the movies," "NEVER hold hands with a lobster." A cast of animals and insects illustrates the hazards of breaking the rules in appropriately absurd full-page paintings. Category: Picture Books. 2008, Atheneum, 32pp, $16.99 (hb). Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration. Subjects:
- Animals Juvenile fiction.
Animals Fiction.
| Language | Call Number | LCCN | Dewey Decimal | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (eng) | PZ7.B2752 Nev 2008 |
2006000153 |
[E] |
9781416907244 1416907246 |