A Perfectly Messed-up Story ....a bookwrap

Happy Friday everyone!  Glad you are here because I have a fun, very creative book for you to enjoy today.  Let's unwrap it shall we?  I think you are going to be pleased.  I hope you will watch the book trailers below after you have read my review.  Ready?  




Unwrapping.........

Author and illustrator is Patrick McDonnell

Pulling the wrapping completely off to see what's inside....Let's do it....

Happy little Louie is walking along, singing to himself and minding his own business. He is trying to get his story started when plop....a huge goop of jelly comes out of nowhere and splats on his book page.  Now where did that come from?  How rude!  Then almost immediately after, a big blob of peanut butter splatters...right on Louie's head! Yuk! It's the disgusting chunky kind (which happens to be my most favourite, but I do digress....sorry!)  

Louie is getting more and more angry and thinks enough is enough already.  But enough already it isn't.  Orange juice descends from above leaving a huge, orange stain on his page, followed by icky, sticky fingerprints and the pièce de résistance? .... crayon scribbles!!! Ok, that's really crossing the line now thinks Louie.  Get the paper towel reader, I've had it.  Louie lays down in utter exasperation and despair.  He gives himself a timeout. His story is ruined, his life is over, now no one will ever read his messy, grungy story....ever!!

But as Louie reflects on his dilemma he learns a very valuable life lesson. He goes on with his story and realizes it is good after all.  It is received well even with the blemishes imposed upon it.  He understands that like his book, life can get messed up and yet your story still can turn out pretty darn good if you keep on singing and moving forward even when difficulties rain down upon you .  

The illustrations are expressive and the word bubbles add so much richness to the storyline.  This interactive story is a perfect read-aloud bringing laughter to both young and old.  I highly recommend this book.

Patrick McDonnell is the creator of The Monsters' Monster, a New York Times bestseller; Me...Jane, a Caldecott Honor Book and a New York Times bestselling picture book biography of Dr. Jane Goodall; and the award-winning picture book Art. He is also the creator of the beloved, internationally syndicated comic strip Mutts, which features the characters that star in five of his previous picture books including Wag!, The Gift of Nothing, Just Like Heaven, Hug Time, and South.

Patrick sits on the board of directors of the Humane Society of the United States and has won numerous awards for both Mutts and his animal welfare work. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Karen; their formerly feral cat, Not Ootie; and their adopted terrier, Amelie.

Praise For A Perfectly Messed-Up Story…

* "Brilliant.... A playful, funny, and friendly treatment of anxiety and life's unpredictable messes."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Louie's exaggerated reactions...will trigger laughs with every page turn....McDonnell... excels at reminding his characters--and readers--that it's possible to keep it together even when life has jelly all over it."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The pleasures of watching a book depart from its conventions and address its sticky-fingered reader will tickle even the littlest postmodernist."—New York Times Book Review

"Classic McDonnell pen, ink, and watercolor pastels blend with mixed-media and crayon messes to make this untidy tale a victory for unkempt books everywhere. Keep calm, and read on!"—School Library Journal

"This [one] is a fun one-Kiddos who get messy with their books will likely giggle."—Booklist

Read on and read always!

It's a wrap.

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