Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4. In Stuart's world, the real, the eccentric, and the magical all spin together, but the tone is utterly matter-of-fact. Stuart's family has just moved to Punbury, and Stuart is anxious about all sorts of things: "What if there were man-eating spiders in his new bedroom closet? Or, a man eating spiders?" In his boredom and restlessness, he decides to be a superhero and makes himself a cape. When he is wearing his cape, adventures do seem to follow, each with its own unique twist. Pennypacker's writing is top-notch; she uses word choices, punctuation, rhythm, and other literary elements in surprising and funny ways. It's possible to read the book solely as Stuart's imagination at work, but it's more fun to believe that Stuart's cat, One-Tooth, really does end up driving the trash truck or that eating a greedy amount of angel food cake makes Stuart fly. This entertaining book gets at the truth of children's feelings and is a good choice for reading aloud to a slightly younger crew. Illustrations not seen. --Susan Dove Lempke
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"This winsomely warped tale introduces eight-year-old, woe-is-me Stuart, whose family has just moved to a new home. Matje's pen-and-ink artwork amplifies the quirky humor," PW said. Ages 4-8. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Stuart is bound and determined to find himself an adventure. Of course, everyone knows that only happens to those who have capes and thus, armed with several old ties, one rusty stapler, and a purple sock, the child creates a magic garment that allows him to fly, to grow toast, and, finally, to make a friend. This zany easy chapter book is also the story of a small boy coping with the fears that accompany a move to a new town (do robbers live next door?) and the start of a new school year (will he be able to find the bathroom?). The story is hilariously descriptive and will appeal to both slower and more proficient readers, and its engaging flow makes for a great read-aloud. Matje's quirky cartoon pencil drawings add to the weird flavor of the book.-Robyn Ryan Vandenbroek, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
New to town, Stuart is worried he won't make any friends. To make the most of the days before school starts, he decides to have adventures. After he staples some ties together to make a cape (adventures only happen to people with [cf2]capes[cf1]), Stuart's imagination takes over. His toys become real, he can fly--anything is possible. The zany humor seems forced, but Stuart is an endearing character and the illustrations are engaging. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Zany, naove sketches complement a sure-fire winner. Stuart is about to enter third grade in his new town of Punbury. Is he worried? You betcha. "What if there were man-eating spiders in his new bedroom closet? Or a man eating spiders? What if he got lost? What if no one wanted to be his friend?" While waiting anxiously for school to begin, Stuart decides he wants to have an adventure and, in order to do so, he needs a cape. Ever ingenious, he fashions one out of ties and staples, adding a purple sock for a secret pocket. Voil`! The cape is just the thing for inviting adventures of all kinds: a dinosaur, horse, and a gorilla teach him how to play pretend; Aunt Bubbles's angel food cake allows him to fly; a catapulted pound cake brings him to earth again; and he finds his soul mate in the person of a garbage man who had been temporarily turned into a cat. The wackiness prevails, right until it is time for Stuart to start school. Pennypacker's obvious plays on words are perfect for young readers just beginning to read chapter books. Ample white space, generous font, familiar vocabulary, Matje's (A Pig Named Perrier, p. 428, etc.) frequent goofy illustrations, and over-the-top situations will leave young readers wishing they had a magic cape. Readers who like Captain Underpants have a new choice, one that will make them howl and will not make their parents squirm. (Fiction. 6-10)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
