M Is for Mischief: An A to Z of Naughty Children - Hardcover

Linda Ashman is the author of many popular picture books, including Babies on the Go, illustrated by Jane Dyer. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

Nancy Carpenter, one of the most versatile and inventive picture book illustrators working today, lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Kindergarten-Grade 3—"WARNING: This book contains obnoxious children. Read at your own risk!" or so declares the cover of this alphabetical catalog of bad behaviors. But only truly prudish parents are advised to explore no further, for Ashman and Carpenter have collaborated to truly hilarious effect. Alliterative rhymes relate the dastardly deeds: "Coco came to camp:/Cracked a compass, smacked a lamp/...Called the counselor a cow./Coco's cab is coming now." In the spirit of Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales for Children (Harcourt, 2002), though illustrated in a flamboyant collage style that couldn't be further from Edward Gorey's precise, monochromatic drawings, most of the children depicted here find themselves in unfortunate situations as a result of their foibles. Carpenter's scribbled marker and watercolor depictions set the perfect tone for these creatively overexuberant children. Blustering Buster's attempt to fly with wings made out of first-place ribbons is just one standout among many. Mom's legs flailing from a grocery cart as Mischievous Martin plows into a tower of watermelons is another. Reluctant readers, parents of reluctant readers, and anyone who enjoys a good laugh will be drawn to this book.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI
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