The Mount Rushmore calamity

Review by Booklist Review

Flat Stanley first came on the scene 45 years ago when he was squished by a giant bulletin board. Now, in the geography-themed Worldwide Adventures series, beginning readers can follow Stanley and the Lambchop family on the go. First up, a trip to Mount Rushmore. Sibling rivalry is a theme here; when a crack opens across Lincoln's face, Stanley manages to hold the mountain together, much to the jealous dismay of his brother. Then the boys meet up with Calamity, a cowgirl who takes them hunting for gold, and the brothers must work together to save their new friend from a cave-in. While this draws on many elements of the original, it is a little, well, flat. The incident of the crack doesn't make much sense, and the integration of information about the Black Hills area is clunky. (A few paragraphs of facts appear at the book's conclusion.) Still, the glossy cover will draw readers (the inside art is appealing, too), and Stan's fans will probably like him in all his permutations. Book Two is The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2009 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-4-Capitalizing on the extremely popular (and more than 40-year-old) character created by Jeff Brown, Pennypacker's new travel-themed series features the same tongue-in-cheek humor and earnest, goody-two-shoes sensibility of the original. Here, the flattened-by-a-bulletin-board boy and the rest of the Lambchop family go on vacation to Mount Rushmore, where Stanley and his brother share an adventure with a young gold miner named Calamity Jasper. Stanley's unique abilities allow him to shine as a hero, causing some friction with Arthur, but in the end, they work together to save the day. Readers will find authenticity and humor in the siblings' rivalry, and Calamity Jasper, with her over-the-top Western dialogue, is a perfect slapstick foil to the boys. As an added bonus, interesting historical and geographical information is included in the story and related facts are appended. Though the modernized, cartoon pencil sketches are not as delightfully ridiculous as the artwork in the original series, they integrate well with the plot. Educational and fun, this action-filled tale makes a great choice for early-chapter-book collections; it will surely cause a resurgence of interest in the original series, as well as a desire to read the subsequent installations in the reboot.-Nicole Waskie, Chenango Forks Elementary, Binghamton, NY (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.

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Review by Horn Book Review

Written by Sara Pennypacker. These brief chapter books find our hero using his state of flatness to rescue his friend from a rockslide at Mount Rushmore and to foil tomb raiders in Egypt. With their breezy "Oh, golly" tone and broad humor (also apparent in the black-and white cartoons) deftly mimicking the originals, these geography-themed books will likely be popular with kids and social studies teachers. [Review covers these Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures titles: The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery and The Mount Rushmore Calamity.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Flat Stanley is back and better than ever. Pennypacker's revival of this perennially popular character should engender great enthusiasm and may even create new fans for this old favorite. Broad humor, action-packed adventure and a tinge of sibling rivalry combine to create a brisk tale that will ably entertain young readers. A most felicitous use of language mimics (and oh-so-gently mocks) the ingenuous, gee-whiz tone of the original. The plot, naturally, is paper-thin but full of incidents that allow Stanley to use his unusual qualities to save the day. In this series starter, Stanley and his family visit Mount Rushmore, where he prevents a rockslide and rescues his brother and a new friend from a cave-in. His adventures continue in The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery (ISBN: 978-0-06-142993-4; paper 978-0-06-142992-7). The series focus on geography is an appealing nod to the oft-assigned school project that asks children to mail their own versions of Stanley to far-off friends. Although Pamintuan's final illustrations were not seen, the sample sketches match the playful tone of the text. (Fiction. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures #1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity Chapter One Ready, Set . . . "Sleeping bags?" George Lambchop called out to his wife, Harriet. "Check!" answered Mrs. Lambchop. "Wholesome snacks for the boys?" "Check!" replied Mr. Lambchop. The Lambchop family was preparing for their vacation to Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They were each very excited about the adventure. Mr. Lambchop was excited because he was going to collect another state park sticker for the rear window of the car. Mrs. Lambchop was excited because she was going to learn more about the history of South Dakota. Their younger son, Arthur, was excited because he was hoping to meet some real, live cowboys. And Stanley, the Lambchops' older son, was excited because he was going somewhere nobody would recognize him. Not long ago, Stanley had awakened to find that his enormous bulletin board had fallen upon him during the night. Since then, the family had gotten used to having a flattened boy in the house. But when he ventured outside, he often caused a commotion: "Look, Marge! There he is . . . the famous flattened kid! Wonder what new adventure he's up to now?" Or, "Say there, Flatty, mind if we take a picture?" The truth is, both Lambchop brothers were getting a bit tired of all the attention Stanley was getting. It would be nice, they agreed, to get away someplace where people didn't make such a fuss. "Well, I think we're ready," said Mr. Lambchop, surveying the mountain of suitcases and camping equipment in the hall. "Not quite, dear," replied Mrs. Lambchop. "Remember, we still have to consult Dr. Dan about Stanley's travel needs. Better safe than sorry." "Well, the boy is still flat," Doctor Dan pronounced, when he was finished with his examination. "Yes, we know that," said Stanley's father. "We were wondering whether such a trip would be suitable for Stanley in his present condition. Mount Rushmore's elevation is 5,725 feet, for one thing. And we'll be traveling by automobile along the scenic highways at a fairly high velocity." Here Mrs. Lambchop interrupted her husband with a chuckle. "Not too high a velocity, of course," she said. Mr. Lambchop smiled at his wife's joke. Both she and Mr. Lambchop were always careful to obey local speed limits. "Still," he said, "we did feel it would be wise to check with you." "It's a good thing you did. More people should be concerned about the effects of travel on the body. The human being is a very complex organism. Even we doctors, with our extensive knowledge, don't completely understand it." "Oh, dear," Mrs. Lambchop said anxiously. "Will it be all right for Stanley to come with us?" "Of course!" said Doctor Dan. "I can't think of any reason why not!" Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures #1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity . Copyright © by Jeff Brown. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from The Mount Rushmore Calamity by Jeff Brown All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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