A Perfectly Messed-Up Story

Louie, one of McDonnell's adorable button-nosed creatures, is in the middle of his own story, singing happily when he notices some jelly on the pages. It's not just a drawing--the photographic blob looks very real, as if readers had spilled jelly on their own book. Then a splotch of peanut butter lands on Louie's head. "My story is getting all messed up!" he cries. A flurry of fingerprints, a splash of orange juice, and crayon scribbles soon follow. "This is the worst thing ever!" Louie wails, arms flailing wildly. The official-looking narration that starts and restarts as the book progresses ("This is Louie's story") turns out to be a kind of coach, an objective voice that urges Louie to take the long view. "I'm still here," he concludes. "You're still reading. And it is a pretty good story, messes and all." Louie's exaggerated reactions to the growing mess will trigger laughs with every page turn. Yet McDonnell (The Monster's Monster) excels at reminding his characters--and readers--that it's possible to keep it together even when life has jelly all over it. Ages 3-6. Agent: Henry Dunow, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 1--Beloved Mutts comic-strip illustrator McDonnell brings children a story about how even the most perfect things can sometimes become...well, messed up. Louie sets out to tell his happy tale about skipping and singing when suddenly a jelly blob interrupts his cheerful narrative. This is soon followed by a peanut butter ("AUGH! The chunky kind!") mess. Louie is horrified that someone would treat his story so carelessly. As the mess builds, Louie becomes more and more anxious, until a really big mess causes him to give up. "I'm just a messy old book...no one will ever want, read, or love," he cries. He soon learns a wise lesson; it is the story that makes the book, not the mess. Life is not without imperfections, and neither are stories. Classic McDonnell pen, ink, and watercolor pastels blend with mixed-media and crayon messes to make this untidy tale a victory for unkempt books everywhere. Keep calm, and read on!--Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH