Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Burgerman's first children's book is a mess-in a good way. He opens with a rhetorical question for readers: "What happens when you turn the page?" On the accompanying left-hand page, readers see a fluffy green object, and a smiley face appears on the right. By turning the page, children essentially smash the face onto the green blob, creating a (rather dazed-looking) creature with a giant "Splat!" It's a natural lead-in to a classic pie-in-the-face gag, and the increasingly cranky creature gets blasted with confetti, turned into a sandwich, visited by insects and chicks, and bombarded by water balloons with subsequent page turns, each punctuated with all-caps splashes and splats. Set against bright, crayon-colored backdrops, Burgerman's cartoons, outlined in thick black lines, are as in-your-face as it gets-fitting, given that "in your face" is basically this book's raison d'être. It's good, not so clean fun that will delight fans of slapstick comedy, as well as those who love to be in the thick of things when mischief is being made. Ages 3-5. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
A green blob sits on the left-hand page; two googly eyes sit on the right. "What happens when you turn the page?" "SPLAT!": the green blob has googly eyes. The cumulative pattern continues across eleven page turns as the beleaguered blob becomes festooned with pie, then confetti, sunglasses, etc. The book recalls Hervi Tullet's interactive Press Here, but with a single joke and rushed-looking cartoony art it doesn't have enough going for it. (c) Copyright 2018. 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
Ever wonder what happens to the previous page after you've turned to the next?Each double-page spread displays two unrelated images. The first left-hand page shows an undefined, solid green shapemaybe a cartoony treetop with some curlicueson a flat pink background. On the right-hand page, a solid yellow background features googly eyes and a smile. "What happens when you turn the page?" queries the text. Do so, and"SPLAT!"on the next spread's left-hand side, the googly eyes have been pressed onto the obscure green shape, which is now a character's face. Across from the green character sits a yellow pie; readers know that when they turn the page, that pie will slam into the green character. The pattern continues: confetti onto the be-pied face, glasses on top of that, then a sandwich, then ladybugs. Small yellow birds who enjoy "insect sandwiches" transfer delicately, without being squashed at all, despite the text's bold assertion to the contrary: "SQUASH!" Everything lands on top of everything else until a spinning electrical fan somehow neatens the scenebefore one last splat. Burgerman's bright colors are matte and flat; bold black outlines make the pages pop. The concept is the draw, and while it may not beg repeated readings, it's good for a laugh. A gimmick, though a playful one. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
