A Day With Wilbur Robinson

Danger Will Robinson! 

THREE PROS

*You've got to give William Joyce credit for his wild imagination   

*While his drawings weren't exactly my cup of tea, I'd be lying if I told you they weren't good
*Dropping in the Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong appearances was a classy (and educational) touch

THREE CONS 

*A perfect example of how slapping a whole bunch of zaniness across each page won't hide what is, at its core, a boring book 
*I thought the kid on the first page was going to be Wilbur -- that got things off on the wrong foot 

*Look, I've tried it 500 times now and I can confidently say that a set of false teeth won't fit into a frog's mouth

ONE DAD'S OPINION
When I saw that this story was the inspiration for the movie Meet The Robinsons, I had high hopes that my streak of positive reviews was going to continue.  When I looked at his Wikipedia page and saw all of the super successful movies he's been involved with, I was sure of it.  Boy, was I off-base.  You might as well call it A Day With Your Great-Grandparents because both are equally as drab.  I know, this is hard to grasp, given all the stuff going on in the wacky world of Wilbur, but it's undeniable.  If that's not proof enough, how about you try this one of for size?  Newsweek went out on the frailest of limbs to call Joyce "one of the top 100 people to watch in the new millennium."  If you believe their prediction came true, then you should probably Buy this and anything else he has written.  Otherwise, I think you'll be okay seeing his movies and skipping this book for the next 985 years or so... 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

The Ugly Duckling

Ahhh, the miracle of plastic surgery... 

THREE PROS

*I've always thought that this story carries one of the most important lessons a child can learn in life   

*Gives credit to the story's originator (Hans Christian Anderson) in a number of places within the book -- something a lot of piggybackers seem to ignore when retelling folk classics
*I don't remember the part where the human family takes the 'duckling' in and nurses it back to health, but it added an extra layer of compassion that is tough to argue with

THREE CONS 

*I imagine Rachel Isadora was going for an African illustrative vibe (if so, mission accomplished), but it didn't really appeal to me 
*She also didn't do enough visually to make our star stand out as the most beautiful bird on the bay 

*When are balls on a dog not hilarious -- oh yeah, when they are unnecessarily attached to a character in a children's book

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Before we get down to business, can we all admit that the movie Black Swan was highly overrated?  I just needed to get that off my chest.  Okay, so even after reading this story to my son (and not loving it), I was thinking I had to give it a Borrow because I truly believe that every child should be exposed to its message at some point.  But I can't.  There's nothing remarkable about this run-of-the-mill bird book; if anything, it's probably closer to ugly than the author intended.  Find another swan song to sing. 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

This Is Not My Hat

We want that award back. 

THREE PROS

*No one can argue with Jon Klassen's pacing and delivery -- it flows the way you would want a children's book to   

*The author's mastery of the "what's going to happen next?" component also lends itself to a better experience
*Proves that you should never trust a crab with your secrets

THREE CONS 

*Seems completely derivative of I Want My Hat Back 
*Even though the little fish gets his comeuppance in the end, his justifications for taking the hat are more likely to push your kid down the wrong path than the right one 

*While there's something to be said for having the final three scenes presented in textless fashion, it kind of diminishes the value for parents reading aloud -- would have preferred just a few words on the last page to wrap it all up

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Another year, another example why the panel who chooses the Caldecott should be made to sleep with the fishes.  Before I even read it, I found it rather disturbing that the supposed best book of the year would be something that is, for all intents and purposes, a sequel.  So I avoided tracking it down for a while (mainly so my blog didn't gain a reputation as a total Caldecott basher).  But when I went to the library today and there were two copies staged right at the entrance to the children's section, I took it as a sign that the time had come to review it; which brings us to now.  Klassen's pinnacle moment is not nearly as good as the other hat caper, because it lacks the complexity of the former's whodunit nature.  TINMH is not bad, but not a keeper, and definitely not worthy of stealing an award away from more deserving candidates.  Cast your line somewhere else. 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

Where The Wild Things Are

I'll tell you one place they won't be for long! 

THREE PROS

*Many people consider this the seminal work of American picture books   

*As much as I have always hated looking at the wild things (probably the one set of characters I can remember never liking as a kid), I must admit that Maurice Sendak's illustration skills were superior to the vast majority of his contemporaries
*I'm toying with writing a book myself and the concept I have in mind has some parallels to this one

THREE CONS 

*One of the scarier-looking stories you will ever come across -- and one that focuses such a large portion of its time on Max's naughty side but then barely addresses his transformation back to normal kid 
*A lot of the wording doesn't jibe cleanly from a cognitive standpoint... especially that first page (which caused both my wife and I to do a double-take in separate readings) 

*Sendak admitted numerous times how he was driven toward the darker corners of storytelling because he felt like it helped children grow up -- I think he took this belief system way too far and, thus, have consistently been disappointed when his critics were swept under the rug (something that can be primarily attributed to this book winning the Caldecott so early in his career)

ONE DAD'S OPINION
So you know, I would have never checked this book out myself, because of my long-lasting bias towards it.  Moreover, I don't think it's appropriate for a child under five years old (due to the potential for nightmares it may cause); so, since my oldest is not even four yet, that would disqualify it.  But, lo and behold, look what was sitting on our ottoman when I came home one afternoon this week.  Turns out my son got it from his school library.  Its still unclear whether he chose it himself or if it was presented to him by the ten-year old boy who his teachers partnered him up with -- but what is clear is that he hadn't really read it yet.  So we tackled it together.  I'm happy to say that he wasn't that enthused by it and that my elementary suspicions were proven correct after all these years.  Others may vehemently disagree, but if you trust me, please Donate this to some far-flung island smack dab in the middle of a world that is not our own. 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

Little Red Riding Hood

Not something I see many people looking to wolf down. 

THREE PROS

*The story of LLRH will be around forever -- or, at least, a lot longer than the blog of some random Internet critic   

*Nice to know that Red and her grandma were able to survive physically unscathed from being swallowed by a hungry predator -- keeps it relevant for most children
*Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's construction of the cover and binding has the look and feel of a quality title

THREE CONS 

*I'm all for nostalgic-looking books, but the colors in this one seem entirely too washed out and drab for something published last year (granted it's a reprint of a 1974 edition) 
*I don't remember the wolf dying from fright upon seeing the huntsman, but if that's the original ending, then it needed an update 

*Tough to critique the length of an old folk tale, but felt entirely too wordy for my taste -- wish they would have shaved some of the excess fur off

ONE DAD'S OPINION
It's obvious I had forgotten some key details about Ms. Hood's seminal moment.  So, in that sense, Paul Galdone's retelling was of some value to me.  Additionally, I was glad it gave me the opportunity to share this classic with my son.  Aside from those two facets, it was a wolf in sheep's clothing.  Let's pretend it was just another book, as opposed to a universally-known tome. If that was the case, I have no doubt I'd give it a Donate for it's lack of titillating illustration and curious plot choices.  This begs the question: do I bump it up to a Borrow because of its standing in the kidlit world?  The answer is no.  Take your basket of goodies to another (publishing) house. 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

Frosty The Snowman

I think we can all agree that Santa is the President of Christmas, but I'd argue his running mate is this guy right here... 

THREE PROS

*There's something just cool about retro illustration from when my dad was a kid  

*How can you not like the policeman's quick thinking, goldspun storytelling, and awesome rhyming
*Comes with its very own song that almost everyone can remember (although it's not included in the book)

THREE CONS 

*Not sure why that last page needed to reiterate the message from the one previous to it -- especially by saying something as ominous as "and he will" 
*Because the story is over sixty years old, it might seem a little anachronistic in its lack of diversity and word choice (did you know coasting was a synonym for sledding, cuz I sure didn't) 

*Frosty somehow keeps the kids warm in his presence; which is a nice sentiment until you think about the number of ways kids already ignore the elements in wintertime (I don't need ours catching colds because they built their own 'magical' snowman, as cute as it may sound)

ONE DAD'S OPINION
First, let me point out that I am reviewing the Frosty printed by Golden Books decades ago that has the cover art shown below. It's not as easy to find as other books on my site, but there are plenty of copies out there on things like Etsy.  Obviously, the odds of you grabbing anything close to 'like-new' are miniscule, but that shouldn't matter too much since the years of weathering only adds more character to the illustrations.  Why did I just spend three sentences on this subject?  Because, even though I've never seen them, I have to believe that the newer versions of the tale won't have the same wholesome feel that you'll get with this one.  It's just so darn halcyonic!  And (unlike anything Santa-related), Frosty is appropriate all winter long, making him an almost certain Buy, even if it's a story/song you've heard a million times.      

BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

With all the wacky weather we've been having of late, this forecast doesn't seem as outlandish as it did when the first printing hit the stands in 1978... 

THREE PROS

*Talk about letting your imagination run wild -- the sheer insanity of Judi Barrett's idea is what has allowed it to continually entertain children for a generation  

*Her ex-husband illustrated it masterfully (no surprise, given that the President of the Society of Illustrators was his mentor)
*There's just no way your kid won't get a kick out of food-based precipitation

THREE CONS 

*I didn't hate the story-within-a-story component, but I don't see why it was necessary either 
*While the last day's in the town of Chewandswallow weren't scary in the traditional way, the manner in which they were drawn could freak out a child or two, I suppose 

*Badmouths some healthy morsels (broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc) to serve a purpose -- but by doing so reinforces the "I don't want to eat that" mentality associated with these dishes

ONE DAD'S OPINION
This book has been voted one of the top 100 of all time by the SLJ.  Until I saw it staring back at me today at the library, I had never read it, mainly because it sounded too corny.  How wrong I was!  Not my favorite, but still a tasty meatball.  Chew and swallow it whole.      

BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly

Another week without reviews -- but this time I have a good reason, I swear!  You see, I'm a dad again and a happy one at that.  Our daughter is doing great and so is my wife; even my son seems to be handling it quite well.  Best of all for you, it gives me an extra three years of Kid Book Ratings if I stick to my goal... 

THREE PROS

*Normally, I don't love side-commentary taking away from the flow of the story, but the way Simms Taback rhymed it out made it work  

*I don't think the expanding "die-cut hole" is really as inventive as the publisher wants us to believe, but it does catch a little child's eye
*Kind of a nice touch to have the old lady get fatter as she ate

THREE CONS 

*I cannot believe this thing won a frickin' Caldecott because the pix are disgusting -- a back cover consisting of only fly species should have been a clear giveaway 
*I've always thought that the nursery rhyme lost its way once she started swallowing a cow to catch the dog and, subsequently, the horse to catch the cow -- up until that point it involved sending in natural predators after their prey 

*My wife and I are both in agreement that there could have been a craftier ending than just having her die (I know that would change the original premise, but mortality is almost always a terrible plot point, especially as a conclusion)

ONE DAD'S OPINION
I hate that Taback is making me show my evil side to my daughter right off the bat, but I guess it's not the worst thing in the world for her to know early on that I can lay down the law when need be!  As you know by now, I am not a fan of authors hijacking old kiddie limericks for the sake of making some bank.  In this case, he at least added some extra content to freshen it up a bit.  But it is still gonna get a Destroy from me because its a prime example of a story that should have never won one of the top two awards in kidlit.     

Buy / Borrow / Donate / DESTROY

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Is it just me, or does your first instinct have you picturing a freaky horror movie character uttering these titular words? 

THREE PROS

*It's always a plus to incorporate some well-placed holes in the pages to draw young minds (and fingers) into the experience  

*Salina Yoon was able to combine some interesting shapes and pictures with a bunch of bold colors -- in this sense it comes off as a better than average board book
*Robin Corey Publishing didn't skimp on the production cost one bit

THREE CONS 

*Other than learning the words to a popular kiddie song, there is literally no point to the story 
*There are multiple cases where only adult would even know how to view the shape in question in order to associate it with the number it is representing 

*If you actually try to interpret the words in the rhyme (especially the original full version, which goes all the way to twenty), you'll wonder why Yoon ever chose a circus theme in the first place

ONE DAD'S OPINION
I'm not sure the act of illustrating a classic nursery rhyme should qualify Yoon's book as a Famous Title in my categorization scheme, but I can't in good conscience include it.  It doesn't seem fair for a lazy adaptation which required no literary creativity to be included with the best known books of all time.  [Postscript: I added it anyway, since there were already similar books in this category.]  Moving on to the larger picture, I'm surprised I didn't give it a Donate and call it a day.  I mean the pros are actually pretty strong for something to ever get a grade below that level.  But, when I really thought about it, those cons are too blatant to ignore.  Why would anyone want to look at a book that fails at executing its main objective (counting), is a bore to read, and leaves you equally confused before and after the adventure begins?     

Buy / Borrow / Donate / DESTROY

Jack And The Beanstalk

Fee-fi-fo-fum.  Nina Crews' take on this historic tale was dumb, dumb, dumb. 

THREE PROS

*The superimposing of photos on top of other photos was a neat trick, although it probably could have been done more seamlessly to make it look more realistic  

*If you like images of New York City, this book has those in spades
*Whatever Crews did to make that golden egg was the right artistic choice

THREE CONS 

*Curiously chops out some of the better plot points of the story we all know and love (Jack's meager economic situation, his multiple trips up the beanstalk, help from the giant's wife, etc) 
*I'm sorry but if you are going to include a picture of a woman clipping a man's toenails then I am going to have a tough time taking anything else you do seriously 

*Why do the giants turn into regularly-tempered people when they hit the ground and why is Jack so nonchalant about the trouble they put him through leading up to that

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Normally, it's not easy for me to balance my desire for a pure retelling of a classic with the feeling that each printing of the story should bring something new or different to the table.  In the case of Nina Crews' Jack, however, it actually wasn't that hard to pick a side.  She should have taken her layered photograph idea and applied it to a story much closer to the original instead of the oddball mashup she dreamt up.  Moreover, she should have picked a better and less flamboyant giant, because the guy she ended up using looked like a week one reject from Project Runway.  [I like my giants scary, but not in a fashion-forward, manicured feet kind of way.]  All in all, this was kind of a dud, and didn't pack the punch I was hoping for when I read it to my son.    

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

Old MacDonald

E-I-E-I-Oh-No. 

THREE PROS

*In a world where things become outdated in roughly six months, it's nice to have a few classics on hand for sentimental saps like myself  

*The green text on the white background is easy on the eyes and breaks out in line with the cadence we all know and (maybe) love
*I never really thought about how easy it is to make a book from a recognizable song, but thumbing through this has given me some ideas

THREE CONS 

*Wow, those last two pages Rosemary Wells put in there were essentially her way of saying "you know what, rather than putting some real effort into this, I'll just challenge my readers to do the work for me" 
*Wait, I thought MacDonald was supposed to be old -- so how come the bunny isn't drawn with even one identifiable detail we associate with the geriatric set 

*Are those lettuce heads growing on the ground or are they leaves or perhaps some sort of alien goo

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Maybe I'm expecting too much from a simple story based on an even simpler children's tune.  Sure, it can be argued that there's only so much an author could do with that material.  And, had the book not unfolded the way it did, I might actually agree with that line of reasoning.  But once Wells opened the door to the other animals on the farm in such a hasty manner, that's where she lost me.  If she had limited it to just one verse about the ducks, I still wouldn't have liked it that much, but at least I would have respected it more.  Had Scholastic Press suggested the inclusion of a child-activated animal wheel for interactivity, then we might be looking at a Borrow or better.  Instead we are left with a blase Donate not really worth anyone's time.    

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

Mother Goose Favorites

In honor of Dick Clark's passing, let's pull some rockin' oldies off the shelf and give them a spin. 

THREE PROS

*When you are binding a collection of previously published work, you better be darn sure that the illustrations are top-notch -- in this case Mary Engelbreit more than hits the mark  

*Bobs and weaves like a savvy boxer between the universally familiar classics and less noteworthy idylls to keep everyone's interest level up
*Even though not all of the stories can be pegged to a particular time of day, Engelbreit does a fine job of arranging them in an order that seems to flow from sunrise to bedtime 

THREE CONS 

*If you're looking for any original writing, you won't find it here 
*My list of Mother Goose favorites would not include that pointless rhyme about the girl with the curl 

*I wasn't aware that Dame Dob patched Jack's nob at the end of his tumble down the hill, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal in most states

ONE DAD'S OPINION
There once was a blogger from DC.
Reviewing kid books gave him great glee.
Still, it was hard critiquing authors' works.  
So few thought him funny; most crowned him King of the Jerks.  
Unfazed he pressed on, despite the outcry.  
Always in search of the next perfect Buy.
Weeks would go by without even a sniff.
But today's selection did anything but whiff.    

BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy