Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Grandma tells Grandpa to wash windows but Grandpa would rather tell stories to Barney, who is in bed with the chicken pox in this read-along (HarperCollins, 2006) written and illustrated by Denys Cazet. Grandpa leans his ladder against the pup's second floor window and tells the story of a pig that gets her snout stuck in the freezer while trying to eat a box of chocolates. This sweet, simple story-in-a-story is read in a soothing voice by a male narrator. Some sound effects are added to the voice track, like the sound of a door closing, coffee pouring, and a siren wailing; one track has page-turn signals. Cazet's cartoon-like illustrations are hilarious. Beginning readers will be enjoy this title.-Marilyn Hersh, Hillside Elementary School, Farmington Hills, MI (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
(Primary) When readers last saw Grandpa Spanielson, he had just told one of his ""famous anti-itch chicken pox stories"" to his grandpup Barney (The Octopus, rev. 1/05); the story diverted Barney from his discomfort long enough for a nap. But now he's awake, and it's time for another. This second story goes straight for slapstick, recounting the time Grandpa helped rescue Mrs. Piggerman, who was stuck in the refrigerator with her snout frozen to a box of chocolates. ""At least part of her was in the refrigerator. The front half was in the refrigerator. The big half was still in the kitchen."" Conversation balloons carry part of the plot, adding a measure of sophistication for beginning readers but also directing their attention to illustrations that mirror the action. Another challenge for readers is decoding Mrs. Piggerman's speech. Suffering from stuck-snout syndrome, she can use no initial consonants: ""I 'uk!"" she screams. ""'ELP! 'ELP!"" By story's end, big red dots still cover Barney, indicating that this series isn't over, even when the fat pig screams. (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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The second of "Grandpa Spanielson's Chicken Pox Stories" matches the first, Octopus (January 2005), for rib-tickling, comfy charm. Young Barney, speckled with chicken pox, rests uncomfortably in bed until Grandpa, sent outside by Grandma to wash windows, climbs a ladder to Barney's room and regales the pup with a distracting tale from his supposed days as Fire Chief. This one's about the time he and the crew rescued broad-beamed Mrs. Piggerman from her freezer after her snout stuck to an icy box of chocolates. Hysterical. Fledgling readers will happily sit down with the floppy-eared patient to hear Grandpa's sly embedded yarn--finished off to cozy perfection with a cup of hot cocoa brought in at the end by Grandma. While no one wishes Barney's chicken pox to last forever, readers will certainly want Grandpa's tales to keep on making them laugh even if they have to become Grandpa's head-cold stories. (Easy reader. 5-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
