Never Take a Shark to the Dentist: (and Other Things Not to Do)

Barrett ("Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs") and Nickle ("The Ant Bully") compile a set of droll rules to live by, each recommendation reinforced by a meticulous full-page image. The hulking shark of the title, for instance, glares at the bite-size kangaroo giving him a root canala darkly funny vision for those who fear dentists. Sometimes the animal and insect characters exaggerate certain human dramas: two cockroaches assist a demanding customer (Never go shopping for shoes with a centipede) or, in the overleaf of a clever vertical gatefold, an all-rabbit crowd watches a film with a tall individual blocking the screen (Never take a giraffe to the movies). Barrett maintains the negative commands until the conclusion, which winks, But always go shopping with a pelican (a built-in tote). Nickle, working in hyper-detailed acrylics, enhances the comical phrases with surreal imagery: well-dressed wild animals with panicked expressions throw their arms in the air when a small creature walks in (Never go to the bank with a raccoon); a housefly features in a cheerfully creepy scene (Never play checkers with a spider). Kids will revel in the absurd humor. Ages 4-8. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2In this compilation of advice, Barrett once again puts a humorous spin on otherwise mundane scenarios, juxtaposing seemingly serious wisdom with absurdity. In addition to the title admonition, warnings such as "Never go shopping for shoes with a centipede," "Never play double Dutch with a grasshopper," and "Never hold hands with a lobster" are fairly self-explanatory, while others rely more heavily on the artwork. Fortunately, Nickle cleverly illustrates each of these cautionary statements with careful acrylic images that will be appreciated by kids. As in "Things That Are Most in the World" (S & S, 1998), he takes Barrett's amusing phrases and paints them with details that expose the silliness. Statements like "Never go to the bank with a raccoon" become hilarious when combined with the looks on the faces of the animals involved. And "Never take a goat with you to the library" is sure to get a laugh at storytimes. After all of the negative warnings, the book concludes on a positive suggestion to "always go shopping with a pelican," tidily wrapping up the book."Piper Nyman, Brookmeade Elementary School, Nashville, TN" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.