Synopses & Reviews
Is something bugging you? Bestselling award-winner David Shannon shows the funny side of waging war against--oh no!--head lice.
This book is guaranteed to make you laugh--and itch! From the opening picture of a happy, oversized louse appearing with his suitcases, you know these bugs are determined to stay, and Mom is about to go nuts!
Nobody talks about them, but they are everywhere. (Some estimate 20 million children a year host them.) Oh the shame and humiliation of having bugs in your hair! But if you go to school, or have play dates, chances are good you might meet them someday. Maybe you already have! Lucky for you, the unwelcome bugs in this story are so funny you will be laughing aloud--even when Mom attacks them with battle-tested anti-lice weapons.
Shannon peppers his hilarious scenes with fun, "nitpicking" facts about these "lousy" critters and pokes fun at common denial: "It's probably ash from that volcano in Pogo Pogo."
Soon the party's over--Bye bye, Little Nasties! Once again Shannon has created a fresh, highly entertaining read-aloud classic that begs to be read again and again.
Review
Praise for David Shannon
NO, DAVID!
A Caldecott Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book
A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book
A BULLETIN FOR THE CENTER OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS Blue Ribbon Book
JANGLES: A BIG FISH STORY
A 2012 Parents' Choice FunStuff Award Winner
A 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee
* "Picture-book art doesn't get much more rousing than this; for anglers in particular and adventure lovers in general, it's a slam-dunk."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
"Action-packed close-ups capture the seemingly omniscient, omnipotent Jangles from arresting angles, allowing readers to feel they are front and center in this fantastic fishing fable. Some fish indeed!"--KIRKUS REVIEWS
TOO MANY TOYS
A NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller
GOOD BOY, FERGUS!
A NEW YORK TIMES Notable Book
THE BUNYANS (by Audrey Wood)
A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book of the Year
An American Booksellers Pick of the Lists
HOW GEORGIE RADBOURN SAVED BASEBALL
A NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book
Review
"Shannon offers young head lice victims and the grownups who love them a much-needed source of levity and empathy. His itchy redheaded hero can't help imagining the worst - which is right up Shannon's alley (his always expressive hand-lettering is deployed to especially good effect). What if the boy becomes a social pariah? What if his condition requires a scorched scalp policy? What if the "lice-a-palooza" in his hair (which looks more like a hootenanny than a rock festival) takes over the entire house? Shannon wisely allows these anxieties to vent, then calmly defuses them with epiphanies ("I found out a bunch of kids had them!") and informative asides ("Relax. Dogs don't get head lice"). He also underscores the idea that every lice-ridden kid has a secret weapon: mom (the book is dedicated to "moms everywhere and their battled-tested anti-lice weapons"). By book's end, the lice have been whittled down from satanic scourge to manageable pain, and readers will come away reassured that it will take a lot more than a bunch of bug-eyed, multilegged "Little Nasties" to sink their families." - Publishers Weekly starred review
About the Author
David Shannon is the internationally acclaimed creator of more than thirty picture books, including NO, DAVID!, a Caldecott Honor Book and his second NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and three more David picture books. Shannon's bestsellers include his recent A BAD CASE OF STRIPES; ALICE THE FAIRY; DUCK ON A BIKE; and his recent JANGLES: A BIG FISH STORY. He lives in California with his family.