Quote of the day:
"I don't have pet peeves like some people, I have whole kennels of irritation."
-Whoopie Goldberg
Let's unwrap.....
Author: Tom Ryan
Illustrator: Kenny Durkin
The illustrations are big, bold and emotionally charged. I love the enlarged heads and vibrant colours. They make the text come alive with humour and wit. Here are some for you to take a look at...
What's a pet peeve? According to Wikipedia a pet peeve or pet "hate" is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to themselves, to a greater degree than others may find it.
This quirky, fun book gives a look inside the brain of a little boy who is trying to locate and relate to his parent's invisible pet...Pet Peeve. Throughout the story his parents try to expose this creature by pointing him out in the random toys scattered across the floor, the dirty cereal bowl left dripping on the kitchen table, the muddied carpet stains tracked through the living room and the chocolate finger prints blobbed on the piano keys....man this pet is everywhere and leaves a trail of destruction whoever he goes!
The thing that doesn't compute in the little boy's mind is that his parents' pet always seems to follow HIM around. The phantom creature always shows up just after HE has been there. Strange?..odd?...weird? You bet. How can that possibly be?
The little boy tries to draw a picture of what this evasive pet may look like to soothe his questioning mind. He tries to track him down by becoming a pet detective extraordniare. He really wants to find that pet and meet him because after all, they do have so many interests in common. But alas, it is not to be. That invisible, clever pet escapes his efforts every time. The deduction of the little boy is... until his parents get their pet, Peeve, under control he dare not ask for the dog he always wanted. Wise, logical thinking, Sherlock!
The author is Tom Ryan.
MILWAUKEE — D.C. Everest grad Tom Ryan has authored a picture book, and his inspiration came from his 6-year-old son.
In the summer of 2013, Ryan, who now lives in Milwaukee, walked into his 6-year-old son’s bedroom, pointed at the clothes, toys and books on the floor and said, “That is my pet peeve.”
In the humorous picture book, illustrated by Kenny Durkin, a young boy is determined to hunt down Peeve, the mysterious and mischievous pet his parents talk about so often. Although his parents’ pet apparently is quite small, Peeve causes a lot of trouble. Peeve leaves chocolate fingerprints on the piano, toys all over the house, water on the bathroom floor, mud on the carpet and crumbs on the couch.
This is Ryan’s debut picture book. He was a 1992 graduate of D.C. Everest High School and attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he majored in journalism. Ryan works in the communications department for MillerCoors and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.
The book is available locally at Janke Book Store, 505 Third St. in downtown Wausau.
For more information about the book and the author, visit ThomasPatrickRyan.com. For more information about the illustrator, visit durkinworks.blogspot.com
I think this is a book you will enjoy sharing with your kids. It is the perfect time to talk about your pet peeves and how you can address them in your family. Maybe a fun activity would be to draw your pet peeves too, making them into a character for your shared stories. Just a thought.
Read on and read always and just as the author Tom Ryan added in a note to me....
Dear Tom,
I enjoyed the book immensely. Thank you for the opportunity for reviewing it for you. I hope my readers will pick up a copy and share the gift of reading it to their kids.
Best,
Marilyn
No comments:
Post a Comment