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- Winner, Maryland Blue Crab Award
- One of New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
From Publishers Weekly
Pennypacker's
(Dumbstruck) winsomely warped tale introduces eight-year-old, woe-is-me
Stuart, whose family has just moved to a new town. The boy feels
anxious about many things, including his new house ("What if there were
man-eating spiders in his new bedroom closet? Or, a man eating
spiders?"); getting locked inside the bathroom of his new school; and
the possibility that no one in third grade will want to be his friend.
"Stuart was very good at worrying. He was not so good at waiting."
Impatient for adventure, Stuart suddenly realizes, "Adventures only
happen to people with capes!" He fashions his own by stapling together
100 old ties and the adventures begin. The funniest scenario involves
the cape-draped lad's realization that he can fly-but he can't land
until his aunt makes a giant slingshot and sends him a pound cake to
weigh him down. Most preposterous is the final episode: after Stuart's
parents forbid him to wear his superhero gear on school orientation
day, his cat falls asleep on his cape and ends up switching identities
with the trash collector-but the upshot is realistic (Stuart makes a
friend). Matje's (A Pig Named Perrier) pen-and-ink spreads and spot
illustrations (a standout shows Stuart racing across the top of a
spread, his cape-of-ties sailing behind him) amplify Pennypacker's
quirky humor. The wry tone may be lost on some readers, yet others will
happily escape with Stuart as he embarks on his confidence-building
flights of fancy. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-Stuart is bound and determined to find himself an adventure.
Of course, everyone knows that only happens to those who have capes and
thus, armed with several old ties, one rusty stapler, and a purple
sock, the child creates a magic garment that allows him to fly, to grow
toast, and, finally, to make a friend. This zany easy chapter book is
also the story of a small boy coping with the fears that accompany a
move to a new town (do robbers live next door?) and the start of a new
school year (will he be able to find the bathroom?). The story is
hilariously descriptive and will appeal to both slower and more
proficient readers, and its engaging flow makes for a great read-aloud.
Matje's quirky cartoon pencil drawings add to the weird flavor of the
book.
Robyn Ryan Vandenbroek, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. In Stuart's world, the real, the eccentric, and the magical
all spin together, but the tone is utterly matter-of-fact. Stuart's
family has just moved to Punbury, and Stuart is anxious about all sorts
of things: "What if there were man-eating spiders in his new bedroom
closet? Or, a man eating spiders?" In his boredom and restlessness, he
decides to be a superhero and makes himself a cape. When he is wearing
his cape, adventures do seem to follow, each with its own unique twist.
Pennypacker's writing is top-notch; she uses word choices, punctuation,
rhythm, and other literary elements in surprising and funny ways. It's
possible to read the book solely as Stuart's imagination at work, but
it's more fun to believe that Stuart's cat, One-Tooth, really does end
up driving the trash truck or that eating a greedy amount of angel food
cake makes Stuart fly. This entertaining book gets at the truth of
children's feelings and is a good choice for reading aloud to a
slightly younger crew. Illustrations not seen.
Susan Dove Lempke
Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved
Kirkus Reviews, July, 2002
Readers who like Captain Underpants have a new choice, one that will make them howl and won't make their parents squirm.
Praise for Stuart Goes to School
"The worrywart hero of Stuart's Cape faces his first day
of classes in a new town. Luckily, his magic cape will help him out
again in this wryly funny mix of the real and the magical, enhanced by
the late Matje's quirky line art," Publishers Weekly said. Ages 4-8. (July)
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-A sequel to Stuart's Cape (Orchard, 2002), this humorous
fantasy perfectly captures the child's-eye view of elementary-school
life. Stuart, who is "excellent at worrying," finds plenty to agonize
over as he starts third grade at a new school. What if he gets stuck in
the bathroom or throws up? Why does he have to wear his father's ugly
cowboy shirt and green plaid pants? His only consolation is his magical
cape. When he wears it, unexpected adventures happen. To impress his
classmates, the boy decides to try controlling the cape's arcane
powers. He wishes for the hideous hand-me-down outfit to disappear but
suddenly finds himself standing in his underwear. Stuart is convinced
that he will be the laughingstock of the third grade forever. The
expressive cartoon drawings often become part of the text design. Young
readers are sure to identify with Stuart's persistent quest to find his
place in the classroom society.
From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. Stuart is back, with his cape made out of ties, and he still
has a lot to worry about. His family has moved, so it is going to be a
whole new third grade. Children will recognize Stuart's anxieties: What
if no one likes him? What if he gets lost on the way to the bathroom?
What if he throws up? As in the previous book, Stuart's Cape (2002),
adventures abound; he is mortified when, during "Our Big Interesting
World" (show-and-tell), his cape makes his clothes disappear, and he
finds himself standing in front of the whole class in his underwear.
But the next day, the cape makes a hole, and Stuart finds some very
interesting uses for it. Stuart loves to draw, and his artwork plays an
important part in the resolution, which is deeply reassuring. Matje's
numerous line drawings look as though Stuart did them.
Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved
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