Review by Booklist Review
This object lesson in what happens when you tell a lie depicts the lie as a creature, shadowing the boy who fibbed and growing bigger until it consumes him. What keeps this from being too scary for this audience are the jolly mixed-media illustrations, showing two brothers, their parents, two dogs, a bohemian-looking grandmother, and a little blue creature (the lie) made almost entirely of scribbles. The funky grandmother loves to knit sweaters for the boys. Brother Boris gets a normal single-color sweater. But brother Percy gets a psychedelic creation that he puts on the dog, who wrecks it going through muck and puddles on his walk. Percy throws away the sweater, but says he lost it. With this first lie, a cute little creature appears the only sinister implication is how the lie casts a shadow over Percy as he goes upstairs. But, as Percy keeps lying, the Whopper keeps growing and finally devours Percy in one gulp. Don't fret! The Whopper disappears when Percy finally tells the truth. An exciting and enlightening read.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Young Percy receives a rather garish hand-knitted sweater from his grandmother, who suggests that it is "just right for walking the dog in!" He proceeds to put the dog in the sweater, which works out fine "until the pup [chases] a cat.[gets] tangled in the bushes.[splashes] in a puddle.and [rolls] in something stinky." What follows is the tale of a lie about the garment's whereabouts that becomes bigger and bigger in the form of a Whopper, Percy's guilt monster, which continues to grow and overwhelm the boy until he finally comes clean. Though the Whopper gobbles up Percy and is a bit of a pest, he is not scary, making this book perfect for introducing young listeners and readers to the idea of lies, right and wrong, and guilt. The text is straightforward and matched perfectly by the soft illustrations. VERDICT This is a great addition to any library, just right for storytime or one-on-one sharing.-Betsy Davison, Cortland Free Library, NY © Copyright 2017. 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
A personified lie that grows bigger with each fib anchors the story of an ugly sweater, some bad decisions, and the restorative power of fessing up. Percy isn't too thrilled with his new handmade sweater from Grandma, done in a garish set of colors that make him frown mightily. The moment Percy and his brother, both white boys, get outside to walk the dog, the sweater ends up on the pooch and is destroyed. When Percy comes home, he lies and says he lost the sweater. When Percy goes to his room, his lie has become a little blue creature. "You told a big, hairy, monstrous lie," it tells him. "It was a whopper. I am your Whopper!" Predictably, the Whopper grows and begins to dominate Percy's life as the lies continue. Somewhat less predictably, the Whopper gobbles up Percy and takes his place. It's only when, from inside the Whopper, Percy confesses the truth that the Whopper fades away. Ashdown's deceptively simple drawings on closer look reveal lovely detail around the edges. She has a knack for drawing adorable pets readers might like to adopt right off the page. The Whopper itself, though less lovable, makes a big impression while not overstaying his disruptive turn in the story. It's not easy to make the moral case for always telling the truth without sounding preachy, but this monster book does it by simply sticking to the story and keeping it fun. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
