School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Alice's brother thinks he is a bad guy. He wears an eye patch, traps superheroes, swallows astronauts, never apologizes, and loves to go to the library to get super bad ideas. But he is in for a shock when he finds out that not all bad guys are guys. This is a wonderfully written book with a twist ending that will charm readers. The watercolor pictures are rendered in a cartoonlike style that will appeal to young children. The intricate images convey the story well and contain several surprises that may escape notice on a first read. Each page features one simple sentence, making this book appropriate as an independent choice for early readers, and looking at the details of the pictures will keep older kids engaged. VERDICT A fun read-aloud for storytimes, this is an amusing and clever tale, enhanced by lively illustrations, that will be a good choice for most shelves.-Peggy Henderson Murphy, Wyandot Elementary School, Dublin, OH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
"Mom calls me Sweetie Pie and Buddy Bear," says Barnaby's (Some of the Parts) narrator. "But I am not those things. I am bad." In vivid vignettes with the feel of animation stills, the eye-patch-wearing boy lives up to his villainous self-image by vanquishing his sister, Alice, in various pretend-play scenarios. "On Tuesday I sailed the seven seas and kept all the treasure for myself," he recounts (Alice is shown tied to a tree); on Friday, he dumps spaghetti on her head and makes believe that he's eating her brain. But Alice turns the tables on Saturday: she ensnares her brother in a classic net trap, then taunts him by eating "all the orange Popsicles right in front of me." Yamada (Kai to the Rescue!) gives Alice a determined glare that generally makes her look more like someone biding her time than a victim. But her triumph falls somewhat flat-her nemesis is bratty and mean, but not much else, and it's hard to care about the comeuppance of a one-dimensional character. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
