Description
Product Description
On the first day back to school from summer vacation, John is the new kid. When the librarian asks him if the school is any different from his last one, he begins a wildly imaginative story about what it was like. What follows are hilarious scenarios—his old school bus was a safari jeep pulled by wild creatures, the school was a castle, and the lunch menu included worms! His imagination wins him the attention and awe of his librarian and peers, setting the tone for a compelling story about conquering the fears of being a new kid, as well as the first-day jitters that many children experience.
Albert Lorenz’s over-the-top illustrations, reminiscent of the work of
MAD magazine’s early artists, bring the story to life. Speech bubbles and side panels make reference to and define objects in the art (in the most humorous and irreverent way).
From School Library Journal
Gr 2-4–John, the new kid in school, is looking for an unexceptional environment because his old one was just the opposite. “My old school was really, really old. And kind of a hangout for ravens. It could be sorta messy.” John's definitions of “Extraordinary facts” related to the various scenarios he describes are listed in glossary panels on the right-hand edges of the fantastical spreads. The pictures were created with watercolor, color pencil, pen-and-ink, and airbrush. Humanlike animals–“Anthropomorphism–The practice of thinking that your pet cat (or rat or rhino) has human qualities”–appear in the detailed visual feasts, which beg for inspection. Eerie surprises exist in the illustrations, and the glossary includes bathroom humor, outrageous comments on teachers, dark humor, and slang. The book's format adds to its appeal with varying fonts for the artwork, a consistent font for the story, and speech bubbles. An unusual picture book, for most libraries.–Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TXα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
About the Author
Albert Lorenz has illustrated a number of bestselling books, including
The Trojan Horse,
Buried Blueprints,
Metropolis, and
House. He is a past president of the Society of Illustrators and has won numerous awards for his art. He lives in Floral Park, New York. Visit him online at www.albertlorenzstudio.com.