Review by Booklist Review
Children who love to play at being spies in their own homes and neighborhoods will appreciate the question posed by this hilarious and heartening book: What does it take to be a good sneak? Spy Guy is a little boy who yearns to be a spy, but he's terrible at it. For one thing, he's noisy; even his shoes squeak. For another, he knocks over a stool with one foot while stepping on the cat's tail with the other. But Spy Guy persists. He consults with the Chief (his father), who gives him pointers, like the need for quiet footwear Great sneakers need great sneakers. Santoso's wonderfully noirish illustrations make this book fun and engaging, as do Young's rhyme schemes and wordplay. Finally, Spy Guy succeeds in his mission of sneaking up on the Chief and learns the great lesson of perseverance is to never stop trying. Readers will also want to check out Jeanie Franz Ransom's nursery-rhyme mystery, What Really Happened to Humpty? (2010).--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Being a spy isn't easy for a noisy and occasionally clumsy kid like Spy Guy. Luckily, he can turn to Dad, aka "the Chief," for advice, which Young rhymes for maximum pith: "If you seek to sneak, try not to speak." Young (My Blue Is Happy) and Santoso (Max Makes a Cake) open their story with what seems like a brush-off (the Chief is reading, so naturally he wants Spy Guy to be quiet), but it quickly turns into a tribute to savvy parental mentoring. Attempting to successfully sneak up on his father, Spy Guy takes inspiration from a spider that Santoso tucks into each scene, but readers looking for a bit more edge might be disappointed. The Chief rocks a monochromatic ensemble reminiscent of a Cold War spy for much of the book, but Santoso's crisp images and liberal use of white space keep the focus on domestic comedy over potential intrigue. Now that he's honed his craft, maybe Spy Guy will get something to investigate next time. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-"Spy Guy was a spy. But not a very good one." Readers observe a boy knocking his head on the table as he's trying to hide under it, sending a lamp to the floor, and startling his sleeping cat. In an effort to improve his spying skills, he visits "the Chief"-his dad-who gives him a series of rhyming pieces of advice ("if you seek to sneak, try not to speak") that he attempts to follow, with mixed results. Finally, the Chief answers the boy's plea for "the secret to spying" with a challenge: Spy Guy needs to successfully sneak up on the Chief. With this mission finally accomplished, Spy Guy has yet another rhyme to share: "The secret to spying is never stop trying." Santoso's illustrations are the highlight of this amusing, if light, picture book. The large amount of white background space allows readers to focus on details like Spy Guy's wide variety of facial expressions and the various moods of the cat, whose story is told exclusively in the illustrations. A spider, which is never mentioned, appears on every page, allowing readers to do some spying of their own to find it. VERDICT Fluffy fun that promotes visual literacy and will make a positive addition to interactive storytime collections.-Jill Ratzan, I. L. Peretz Community Jewish School, Somerset, NJ (c) Copyright 2015. 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 protagonist longs to be a super spy. Since wishing doesn't make it so, he follows advice from "the Chief" (his father) and acquires some gear, but still he's unable to escape detection. Entertaining wordplay ("great sneakers need great sneakers") punches up the text. Cleanly composed digital illustrations show a perky little boy and a laid-back, gray-clad dad, who could actually be a spy. (c) Copyright 2015. 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 small, pixie-haired, gap-toothed, pink-skinned boy rocking a fedora aspires to competence as a spy.Spy Guy is aware of his limitations: He's not very subtle and actually not really clued into whatever the secret to spying might be. The otherwise unnamed little boy goes "to Headquarters to see the Chief" for answers. The Chief looks a lot like a dad. The Chief's response? He helps Spy Guy out with some new sneakers (for sneaking) and a disguise, some advice about stealth and finally this enigmatic answer: "If you can sneak up on methen you will know" the secret. Young readers will have noticed the large, long-legged spider in every frame, ready to inspire Spy Guy's somewhat clever sneaking-up technique. Young's brief, simple text blends prose and rhymed phrases: "When I try to sneak, my shoes squeak"; "if you want to be stealthy, first you must be healthy." The problem is that there's not much of a story here. Spy Guy learns some tricks of his eponymous trade, but that's about it. Young readers who long for adventure might wish for more to the plotperhaps a situation in which Spy Guy could apply his sneaky skills. Still Santoso's art conveys broadly comical action, and his slightly retro palette and exaggerated cartoon style are well-suited to the undercover prowess Spy Guy seeks. Will Spy Guy be the next 007? Unless there's another book, readers will never know. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
