Can a young boy figure out how to turn an obstacle into an opportunity in this nearly wordless picture book?A morning of fun with Dad takes a turn for the boring when a long to-do list interferes. At first content to let Dad cross things off his list, the boy in the story soon realizes that the whole day will be spent on chores — unless he can come up with a solution. In his singularly expressive, kid-friendly style, author-illustrator Sam Zuppardi crafts a colorful celebration of the fun that can be had with just a little imagination — and a trusty green crayon.
Sam Zuppardi is the author-illustrator of
The Nowhere Box and
Jack’s Worry, as well as the illustrator of the picture book
Nobody’s Perfect by David Elliott and the middle-grade series the Misadventures of Edgar and Allan Poe by Gordon McAlpine. Sam Zuppardi lives in York, England.
Zuppardi's acrylic-and-pencil illustrations have a charming, childlike quality, especially the young child, who is basically a 3-D stick figure with lines for hair, and his imagination truly runs amok when the child amends the list (the only words in the entire book).With some imagination, even chores can be fun.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The book’s only text is the words on the list, but Zuppardi’s (
Jack’s Worry) joyful, mixed-media art speaks volumes about how ordinary activities—yes, even chores—can be made special with a little imagination.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The cartoon-style acrylic and pencil illustrations perfectly capture the boy’s flights of fancy and his dad’s willingness to play along. Adults could learn a thing or two from this father about making mundane tasks more enjoyable. A great choice for one-on-one sharing.
—School Library Journal
Bright and breezy watercolor-and-pencil illustrations perfectly express the concept and it’s easy to smile along at the joyfulness of the father and son.
—Washington Post
This is truly a fun read. The lighthearted banter between Jack and the narrator is sure to create chuckles along the way.
—Story Monsters Ink
Gloomy that his father doesn’t have time to play, the boy has the brilliant idea of recasting drudgery as fun. Now the job of making a bed becomes sailing a pirate ship, and the garden that needs watering becomes a jungle to explore.
—The Wall Street Journal
