Monday, January 26, 2009

Review #13: Knuckleheads

Dad:  We're all gathered around a special secret package that came in the mail!  From a very nice person...
Isaac (age 10):  It looks like a book!
Dad:  And we're going to record a Bookie Woogie review as we unveil it...
Isaac:  "Knuckleheads!"  This one looks good.
Dad:  So, what do the characters look like?
Isaac:  Hands...
Gracie (age 8):  That's why they're called Knuckleheads.
Isaac:  I think that's a nose though...
Dad:  Yep.  "Nose White"  Here are the four stories in the book: "Handsel and Gretel," "Handerella," "Thumbelina," and "Nose White."
Isaac:  I want to see this book!  I want to read!  I want to read!
Dad:  Wowsers, you're excited...  Okay this is "Knuckle Heads," written by Joan Holub, illustrated by Michael Slack.
Gracie:  I want to read "Handerella" first!
Isaac:  I want to read "Thumbelina."
Dad:  Well we're going to read all of them...

Reading commences....
...Reading concludes.

Dad:  So what did you think of "Knuckleheads," you knuckleheads?
Isaac:  It's good!
Gracie:  It's really good!  Awesome!
Lily (age 5):  There was a lot of stuff with hands.
Isaac:  Hands, hands, hands, hands, and one white glove.
Gracie:  And a nose.
Isaac:  And an oven mitt.  And a foot.
Gracie:  The pictures look like "Scrambled States of America" and "Arnie the Doughnut" because the drawings are kind of cut-papery and there are little picture-thingies off to the side of the pages.
Isaac:  There were lots of jokes.
Lily:  There was "finger food..."  like, because they have fingers.
Isaac:  I realize why the police said "caught you red-handed..."  Get it - she has the red oven mitt on.
Gracie:  The evil oven mitt...
Dad:  Did you catch any other hand jokes?
Isaac:  Catch them?  The police would have to catch them.
Dad:  Ha ha...  I see you're making up your own jokes now.
Gracie:  The book had "step sisters" - get it?  Because they are made out of feet!
Lily:  And "thumbs up..."  Get it - Thumbs up!
Gracie:  "Hand in marriage..."  Get it - Hand in marriage...
Lily:  Get it!  Handing in my resignation!
Gracie:  Get it!  Shoe in!
Dad:  I kept thinking she was going to run out of hand puns, but she kept coming up with more and more.
Isaac:  Hands, hands, hands, hands...
Lily:  There were one, two, three, four stories in this book.
Dad:  How was the first story different from the normal Hansel and Gretel story?
Gracie:  It was a finger food house instead of a candy house.  They dropped fingernails instead of breadcrumbs.  And the kids didn't get along at all.
Lily:  When they got to the fingerfood eating house, that's when the bad, bad, bad, bad witch came.
Gracie:  The evil witch - she's green.  And she's evil.  And she's ugly.
Isaac:  Once she dressed up as a foot.
Gracie:  She's in every single story.  She's popular.
Dad:  She kind of ties all the stories together doesn't she.
Lily:  Get it!  Ties them!  You tie things with your fingers!
Dad:  What--  Now you're finding too many puns - even in places they don't belong!
Lily:  Hee hee!
Dad:  What did you think of the characters?
Isaac:  Hands, hands, hands, hands...
Lily:  I like Gretel.
Isaac:  I like Officer Whiteglove.  But, uggh - the teacher was freaky.
Gracie:  Thumbelina looks weird.  She's blue.
Lily:  I like her.  I think she's cute...
Isaac:  Thumbelina's story was fast.  Maybe the author did run out of jokes.
Lily:  I like Handerella.  She looked beauuuuu-ti-ful...
Gracie:  You always like all the girls.
Isaac:  I see a dog with fingers for ears...
Dad:  What is that stuff Handerella is holding -- it's disgusting.  It's got nail clippings in it.
Gracie:  Maybe it's the crud from between the step sisters' toes...
Dad:  Ewwwww...
Isaac:  Yuck.
Gracie:  The Hand-some Finger Prints had fingerprints floating over his head.
Lily:  Look at his crown - it's like fingers!
Gracie:  Oh, and this guy has weird hair on his knuckles.
Dad:  Do you see what all the guests are doing at the ball?  What are they spelling?  You guys know some sign language, don't you?
Gracie:  L - O - V - E... that's love!
Lily:  I like that girl....
Gracie:  Nose White has a ring on her nose -- which is her head.
Dad:  So, would you read "Knuckleheads" again?
Gracie:  Oh yeah baby.
Lily:  Let's read it again.  Now.
Dad:  Right now?  Guess so...  Lily is opening the pages as we speak...


handprint people, by Gracie

footprint person with toe people, by Lily

thumbprint people, by Isaac


Note: you can always click on the pictures for a larger view...

Author: Joan Holub
Illustrator: Michael Slack
Published, 2008: Chronicle Books
Like it? Find it

10 comments:

Carrie said...

Hmm. Well! Your illustrations to the stories just keep getting better and better!

Gracie - I love your handprint people. And the cartoon captions are hilarious!

Lily - I love the special editions of toe people on the footprint person.

Isaac - You reminded me of one of my favorite art books growing up which taught you how to make all sorts of people and animals with fingerprints. I had forgotten about it but now I want to look it up! Love your thumb-ersault!

Nina Crittenden said...

Lots of great puns, people! I love reading your reviews, and your artwork is first rate!

Joan Holub said...

Thanks for reading Knuckleheads, Bookie Woogie!

Gracie, I cracked up over your yellow bellied joke and I love your drawings.

Lily, that's an adorable footperson and what cute toe -people. Looks like they've set foot on a nice grassy spot.

Thumb-one (Isaac!) made some great puns and I especially liked the awe-thumb comment. Actually, these were all fun puns.

I'll let the Knuckleheads artist, Michael Slack, know he's got some competition over here on Bookie Woogie, artwise.

I'm glad you enjoyed the book, and I had so much fun reading your blog today. This is one of my favorite blog sites. A really cool idea, Aaron.

Lorie Ann Grover said...

I've got to hand it to you, you guys crack me up!

Anonymous said...

Like Carrie, the Z-Kids' drawings remind me of Ed Emberly's thumbprint drawing books--one of my favorite all-time children's books!

I saw this title somewhere and knew I had to get my HANDS on it...and now that you've reviewed it, I'm PAWSitively HANDING over my money!

ElizT said...

As you say, awethumb. But don't let anyone throw the book at you.

Marianne said...

You guys are so stinking cute! This sounds like a fun book my son would enjoy (and me too).

hytime said...

This sounds cute. My kids have a wrestling club with their dad and call themselves The Knuckleheads, so I'll probably have to get this for them.

Corey Schwartz said...

D'oh! That last comment was form me (I'm away and wasn't signed in properly)

P.S. Got my copy of Little Panda. Can't wait to read it to my kids.

Anonymous said...

This book looks great! I love reading your reviews, and your illustrations are fantastic!