Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. The picture-book audience will enthusiastically identify with this amusing tale about mindless conformity. When the old signmaker's young assistant notices that the townspeople stop when the sign says STOP and enter when the sign says ENTER, he decides to indulge in some mischievous fun. The park fountain is suddenly OPEN FOR SWIMMING, the grocery store becomes the GARBAGE DUMP, and the folks at the bus stop KNOCK HEADS. As the resulting mayhem builds to a disastrous climax with car crashes and lost firemen, the streamlined story line becomes exclusively visual. The busy pencil-and-wash drawings are an intriguing cross between the broad style of the funny pages and the simplicity of the naive artist, with solid figures, brilliant colors, fresh humor, and a friezelike quality that radiates energy. Unlike such traditional tales about an apprentice run amok as DePaola's Strega Nona, the repentant hero sets matters right on his own, while his mentor offers forgiveness--and a second chance. (Reviewed May 15, 1992)0803710100Julie Corsaro
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When young Norman, assistant to the town's respected signmaker, paints a few unorthodox signs of his own, he generates hilarious havoc in this larky picture book. For this lad's handiwork--unlike his mentor's, which conveys such sensible information as where to eat and when to stop--mischievously proclaims ``No school today,'' ``Stop, ants crossing'' and ``Buy Norman a present.'' And the townsfolk, accustomed to obeying signs dutifully, follow instructions. The author/illustrator of No Jumping on the Bed! and Ollie Forgot here presents an escapade certain to tickle funnybones: What child could resist the sight of grown-ups blithely obeying a ``Knock Heads'' sign, or cars following a detour marker through a house , of all places? In Arnold's exuberant artwork--perhaps his finest to date--William Joyce meets Richard Egielski with scintillating results. Both the frenetic commotion and the urban calm before and after the storm are expressively depicted in luminous, crisply outlined colors. The signmaker's work itself is smartly designed; indeed, style and verve mark the entire enterprise. Ages 4-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-- Arnold brings the mischieveous quality of the sorcerer's apprentice to small-town America. Norman works as the old signmaker's assistant--cleaning brushes, mixing colors, and painting simple signs--while he dreams of having a shop of his own. As he watches people obey all the signs, he wonders what would happen if he painted some of his own. With the master away, Norman gets creative with such signs as ``Eat your hat,'' ``No school today,'' ``Buy Norman a present.'' The boy enjoys the confusion and laughs until the angry townspeople tear down all of his work, resulting in crashing cars, lost firemen, and his boss being run out of town. A contrite Norman paints all night long to restore order and clean up the mess. Arnold paints humorous pictures of the clever lad and the chaos he causes. This is well suited for reading aloud, with clear watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations and easy flowing text boxed on a white background alternating with full-page paintings. The silly signs and situations will appeal to children's sense of fun, and they will enjoy discovering the consequences of Norman's imaginative brush work. --Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public Library (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
The signmaker's assistant longs for the power to command people with the magic of words. When the old signmaker falls asleep one day, Norman paints many mischievous signs, and confusion mounts throughout town. The illustrations provide plenty of broad, upfront humor. From HORN BOOK 1992, (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
Arnold's large-headed, stubby-limbed figures move solidly through a droll cautionary tale. Norman the apprentice has noticed that people always obey signs; when his boss takes a brief trip, Norman busily paints and distributes his own: ``No School Today''; ``Eat Your Hat''; ``Go Back Three Spaces''; ``Knock Heads.'' In a series of textless spreads, people follow these directions regardless of the silly results. Finally, every sign in town is angrily torn down--creating even worse confusion. Seeing the error of his ways, Norman scrambles about repairing the damage, earning forgiveness from the signmaker and the embarrassed townsfolk. O the perils of blind obedience! (Picture book. 6+)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
