Review by Booklist Review
Dick and Jane are so bogus! Dude and Betty are way more righteous. The vocabulary isn't exactly standardized-test-worthy in this primer, which seems more focused on surf culture than reading skills. The layout and sentence structure are classroom classic, but the theme and art are California cool in scenes of Dude, Betty, and . most excellent dog, Bud, playing Frisbee; hanging out at the taco stand; and boogying, joined by a few multicultural beachgoers. A pre-Gidget mentality pervades: with a few exceptions, it seems that only boys hang ten ( Surf, Dude, surf ), while girls just sunbathe ( Totally rad tan, Betty ). As with some similarly pseudo kids books out there (Laura Marchesani's Dick and Jane and Vampires, 2010), this will certainly amuse parents. Whether or not kids get the tongue-in-cheekiness, though, it still works as a book for young people, and a pretty bodacious one at that.--Medlar, Andre. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Pliscou and Dunne, in their first children's book, spoof Dick and Jane with an introduction to surfer lingo, set in squeaky-clean SoCal environs. Dude, a blond boy in sunglasses, hits the beach with his surfboard, his "most excellent dog" Bud, and his pal Betty, "a righteous surf bunny." Pliscou mimes the sincere voice and meticulous punctuation of an easy reader ("See Dude surf. Whoa! Look at Dude surf. Surf, Dude, surf"). Her humor arises from unexpected vocabulary ("Stokaboka!"), paired with Dunne's earnest illustrations of Dude hanging 10, wiping out, and visiting a taco stand for "a bodacious burrito"-things Dick and Jane never dreamed of. In the book's funniest moment, Bud scarfs down Dude's lunch ("Most heinous, Bud!"). Girls may raise an eyebrow when Betty works on her tan while Dude surfs (to her credit, Betty later steps into the ocean with her board); parents may do the same when Dude and Betty flee the "gnarly scene" at home after the boy's parents ask if he's cleaned his room and done his homework. A glossary that defines terms like "awesome," "bummer," and "cranking" closes out this tongue-in-cheek primer. All ages. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-This takeoff on the old "Dick and Jane" books is a deliberately simple tale about a surfer named Dude, "a way cool guy," and Betty, "a righteous surf bunny." Joined by Dude's dog, Bud, they head to the beach. Dude surfs, Bud catches a Frisbee, Betty soaks up rays, and then they all eat nachos and burritos (although Bud has to steal his). There's a glossary at the end for terms like "gnarly," "bodacious," and "Stokaboka." The appeal of this book is tied to the surfing milieu, the retro-hip slang, and the stylish artwork that recalls magazine ads of the early 1960s (as well as the "Dick and Jane" books, of course). Parents and grandparents may enjoy this more than the first and second graders who are the more obvious target audience. A book for larger collections or libraries with lots of surfing fans.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2011. 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
Dick-and-Jane stand-ins Dude and Betty hit the waves. Amusing text gives a righteous shout-out to the classic easy readers: "See Dude surf...Surf, Dude, surf." While the story is modernized for today's beach bums, cameos of fifties-style parents--and a wood-paneled cruisemobile--help preserve the retro feel and enhance the humor (yes, it's almost entirely for adults). A glossary of surfer terms is appended. (c) Copyright 2011. 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
This cheeky debut from Pliscou and Dunne pokes fun at traditional reading primers while reveling in California surf culture.Truly non-bogus retro artwork in the style of 1950s Dick and Jane illustrations evokes a nostalgic sensibility with contemporary updatesincluding a notably multicultural cast of characters in several beach scenes. The pictures throughout the book are brightly colored and detailed, with endpapers decoratedwith paintings of surfboards and characters that rely more on gestural strokes than detail. The control of the text is intentionally broken to incorporate "surf-speak" on nearly every page, including when Dude's friend Betty is introduced: "Betty is a righteous surf bunny. She doesnotlive in the Valley." While this might undermine the book's success as a beginning reader, it totally ratchets up the humor in a most excellent way. After Mother and Father ask him if he's cleaned his room and done his homework, Dude and Betty don't "go" like Dick and Jane, nor does his dog Bud "run" like Spotthey "bail" and head back to the beach. "Waves are happening," reads the final page. "Dude is stoked."Readers will be stoked tooabout this fresh, funny, way-cool slice of Americana.(Early reader. 6 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
