Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
There are none so blind as those who will not see. Case in point: Myer's (Pickles, Please!) bespectacled Delia, who is so convinced that her life is "completely boring" she doesn't see all the amazing things happening around her, like the gorilla behind her in the lunch line, the aliens invading her house while she watches TV, or the scuba diver rising from the toilet as she brushes her teeth. Not that any of these oddities are in a hurry to make themselves known--in fact, on the penultimate spread, a T. Rex actually admonishes readers to keep their lips zipped. Myer's extended visual joke--rendered in handsome, smartly composed watercolors--stays funny page after page, and that's no small feat. Delia avoids crossing from disgruntled to bratty, and the improbable visitors to her world generally take their fish-out-of-water status in stride (an ostrich zooms past Delia with a look bordering on hauteur). There's no explanation for why, say, a pirate is suddenly on the school bus, but he's there--why not enjoy the ride? Ages 6-8. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary Agency. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Delia takes readers through her previous day, explaining all the ways in which it was so boring, but the art tells the real story. While she is eating her cereal, two elephants walk through her living room, but she is so busy worrying about spilling milk that she doesn't notice them. Instances like this happen on every page, giving readers glances at pirates, gorillas, aliens, hot-air balloons, and more. Myer integrates his text done in various fonts, sizes, and colors with his watercolor illustrations, making the words feel as though they are flowing into the pictures. This charming story with its hilarious art is perfect for group sharing. Children will love that they can see what Delia can't and will feel they've been let in on a secret. That device alone makes this a great book that will see lots of repeated readings.-Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2012. 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 Kirkus Book Review
An amusing visual riff on the frequent refrain "nothing ever happens to me." Delia recounts the details of her incredibly dull yesterday. While her words describe a pedestrian day from breakfast to bedtime, the illustrations tell a completely different story. While Delia's eyes are either trained down on her cereal or a handheld device or looking straight ahead, lots of interesting things are happening around her. Delia complains, "NOTHING happened during my breakfast, except I spilled some milk." As she struggles with the milk, two elephants parade unseen down her hallway. Later, wildly shaped hot-air balloons float by while she checks her phone and waits for the bus. A pirate rides to school with her, and an astronaut floats by her math-class window while Delia doodles. The droll, first-person point of view carries the sarcastic, bored tone to its humorous extreme. The message could not be clearer: Look up and see the interesting world around you! This lesson is delivered in such a winning, funny package that it hardly seems like a lesson at all. Closer to Where's Waldo in their invitation to look closely than a pat lesson on awareness, these lively, cartoony illustrations offer many chortles per page and invite amused readers to return to find more "boring" details in Delia's life. Young readers will chuckle at Delia's cluelessness--and maybe think twice about their own assumptions. (Picture book. 4-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
