Noodleheads See the Future

Product Description A 2018  Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book! Awarded a  Junior Library Guild selection for 2017 Tedd Arnold, the guy who does Fly Guy, and renowned storytellers, Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, have done it again: the wacky Noodlehead brothers, who first appeared in Noodlehead Nightmares, are back for a second adventure that brings folktale tomfoolery into the 21st century!  Although Mac and Mac are as hollow-headed as, well, noodles, they are certain Mom will bake them a cake if they gather some firewood for her. In the woods, they run into cousin Meatball, who tricks the Noodleheads out of their hard-earned kindling with imaginary clairvoyant powers. Oh no! Fortunately, the gullible Noodleheads unwittingly accomplish an even greater task for Mom--and earn their beloved cake, after all! Review * (Starred Review) Two thickheaded macaroni noodles prove the old adage: a fool and his firewood are soon parted. Fools have been called "noodleheads" for centuries, but until recently few have represented the term quite so literally. Mac and Mac aren't the brightest pieces of pasta in the world, but their hearts are in the right place. Here, the two decide to help their mama out by gathering firewood in hopes that she'll bake them a cake. As they are attempting to cut the very branch they're sitting on, a passing meatball points out that they are mere minutes away from bruised bottoms. When his words come to pass, our heroes decide the meatball is clairvoyant and demand to know their future. Drawing on and smoothly weaving together a variety of folk tales, the brief graphic novel describes how its obtuse protagonists single-mindedly seek cake, even as they anticipate death, purchase "firewood seeds" (aka acorns), and accidentally dig their mother a garden. Emergent readers will appreciate the simple text, short chapters, and comics-inspired paneled illustrations. Adults will appreciate the authors' note, which goes into some detail about each chapter's folk origins. Two delightfully dense heroes bring folk tales into the 21st century, and young readers are all the richer for it. (Graphic early reader. 5-9)    Kirkus Reviews * (Starred Review) K-Gr 3 "The creator of Fly Guy follows up Noodlehead Nightmares with another hilarious and engaging anthropomorphic book full of wacky slapstick. Brothers Mac and Mac are the titular heroes, and, yes, they are literally pieces of pasta. They are also, well, noodleheads: the literal-minded brothers are incapable of understanding metaphor or grasping simple concepts. The humor is similar to that in the Amelia Bedelia series, and youngsters will laugh knowingly at the noodleheads ridiculous antics as they bumble their way through to a happy conclusion. The author's note explains the worldwide tradition of tales of fools, their use in helping children learn logical thinking, and the specific stories that inspired the noodleheads' adventures. The cartoonish artwork captures the over-the-top feeling of the narrative perfectly. Children will doubtless ask for more titles starring the hapless brothers. VERDICT A funny and lighthearted addition to early graphic novel and beginning reader collections; fans of all things goofy will devour the noodle heads" Elizabeth Nicolai, Anchorage Public Library, AK  School Library Journal About the Author Tedd Arnold is the best-selling author-illustrator of more than one hundred books including the  Fly Guy series. His numerous awards include three Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors and an Edward Award. He is co-author and illustrator of the  Noodleheads series.  Noodleheads See the Future, the second in the series, was a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book, an American Library Association Notable Book, and winner of the American Folklore Society's Aesop Prize.  Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss are acclaimed storytellers who have won an Irma Simonton Black Honor Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, several Stor