The mischievians

William Joyce, 1957-

Book - 2013

Dr. Zooper answers questions about life's ordinary puzzles, such as why homework disappears or how a song gets stuck in one's head, by identifying and describing different kinds of Mischievians.

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Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers [2013]
Language
English
Main Author
William Joyce, 1957- (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
"Moonbot Books"--Copyright page.
Cover title.
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 26 cm
ISBN
9781442473478
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Using the model of Joyce's The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2012), which has its own iPad app and animated short, the name of the game for new imprint Moonbot Booksis media interactivity. But it all starts with the book. The premise of Moonbot's debut is simple and kid friendly: how can we explain the things that annoy us? For instance, where do missing socks go? Well, it's certainly not your fault one disappears; blame the Sock Stalker, one of many Mischievians, an ancient race of mischief-makers. The book's setup is brief, as two kids find themselves in Dr. Zooper's laboratory, where they're introduced to an encyclopedia explaining the Mischievians. From there the book becomes a Q&A, as the kids make queries (Where do blisters come from?) and Dr. Zooper responds. Kids may tire of the lengthy question-and-answer sessions, but the illustrations of the various Mischievians, courtesy of Moonbot Studios, are amusing. As with the introduction, the book concludes abruptly. Not the most cohesive story line, but the concept is likely to win fans. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The brainchild of Joyce, and a joint venture between a major publisher and an artists' studio, this should get a ton of press.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Worry not, kids. Missing a sock? Homework vanished into the ether? Just realized you have "a booger dangling out of your nose and you know it's been there maybe all day and everybody has probably seen it?" It isn't your fault. These and other woes are caused by implike creatures known as Mischievians, as two siblings learn courtesy of one Dr. Maximilian Zooper. Joyce (the Guardians of Childhood) structures his story as a guide to the Mischievians, from Mista Blista-a smiley, blister-causing shoe-lurker-to the skateboard riding Itchy and dreaded Earworm. The book's Q&A format is jokey and informal, with kidlike queries ("Why do I sometimes get a thorn thingy stuck in my foot when I walk barefoot in the grass?") and lightheartedly informative responses. Clever touches abound in Joyce's whimsically imagined portraits of the creatures, with their odd tufts of hair, spindly appendages, and assorted suction cups, horns, and accessories. If a tad long to read through start to finish (is a Mischievian also responsible for squirming?), there's great fun to be had discovering the sources of everyday annoyances. Ages 5-8. Agent: Michael Siegel, Michael Siegel & Associates. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-4-Anxious to find answers to some of life's most vexing questions, like who's stealing their homework (which they've totally done, they swear!), a brother and sister find themselves mysteriously whisked away to the "most interesting laboratory" of Dr. Zooper. He presents them with an exhaustive, quirky treatise on the many varieties of Mischievians, the fantastic creatures "that make mischief, make mayhem, make noise, and make you crazy!" Readers learn, for instance, that when you've had a booger dangling from your nose all day and no one has mentioned it, you can thank a small group of Mischievians called Danglers, whose "only job is to lure.nervous Booger[s] out of the nostril. (Boogers are notoriously shy.)." This relatively text-heavy picture book does not have a particularly strong narrative, serving largely as a framework to showcase the zany world of Dr. Zooper and the Mischievians, from the Stinkers to the Itchies to the Earworms and more. Children will likely enjoy Joyce's silly humor. The colorful digitally manipulated paintings are the book's strength, infusing each Mischievian with plenty of personality and offering something for readers to enjoy when the text occasionally drags or certain jokes fall flat.-Ted McCoy, Oakland Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2013. 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

Dr. Zooper's book answers all your questions about what happens to the missing "car keys! The TV remote!!! One sock," and more. Apparently, little creatures eat your homework, make boogers hang from your nose, and cause blisters, bad smells, and itches. Joyce's illustrations of these mischief-makers--part human, part robot, part who-knows-what--will intrigue kids along with the humorous, if lengthy, descriptions. (c) Copyright 2014. 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

A guide to the elusive creatures responsible for everyday ills offers kids the ultimate book of excuses. Why are some things always sticky? Who hid the remote? What does an earworm really look like? Two children plagued by a series of inexplicable events make the acquaintance of Dr. Zooper. He encourages them to read his guide, The Mischievians, billed as "An encyclopedia of things that make mischief, make mayhem, make noise, and make you CRAZY!" Here, the kids learn about critters like the Sock Stalker, which only steals one of any pair, or the File Sucker, a subspecies of the better-known Homework Eater. With his customary flair, Joyce brings to life all manner of benign but annoying mischief-makers, ending the book with the kids (and the readers) determined to identify even more. Written for the most part in Q-and-A fashion, the book lends itself to both browsing and reading all in one fell swoop. This being Joyce, the creatures aren't half as disgusting as they could be (even when they're luring boogers out of noses or raising blisters on toes). Successfully tapping into the human need to find explanations for all-too-common annoyances, this book charms with its intricacy. (Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.