My six-year-old son and I spend a lot of time reading books. A lot. So we’re always on the lookout for something new to add to our collection and nighttime bedtime ritual. Enter Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley.
The GOOD: Fun, active, colorful pictures throughout and good story idea.
The BAD: Not enough text for a youngster to comprehend the general message of the story. It relies too much on the picture to deliver the actual story.
MONEY MATTERS: The book is published by Tricycle Press and retails for $15.99. It can be purchased from your favorite local bookseller or online at Amazon.
SOMETHING EXTRA: You can check out the author’s very own blog right here and find out what he’s up to.
The MOM VERDICT
Cate says: I wanted to like this book. I did. I liked the idea of this book … it goes through and lists twelve terrible things (i.e., dentist, monster under the bed, and more), but therein lies the problem. It lists. It doesn’t even say what the actual “thing” is, leaving the child to figure it out on their own. For the dentist one, for example, you see the dentist looming and the words “Say AAAAHH!!” I would have loved it more if it actually spelled out what the “terrible thing” was. But hey, that’s just me. Well, and Nicholas too. He wasn’t a fan. In fact, peering over my shoulder as I wrote this review, “Mom, did you tell them there aren’t enough words?” Out of the mouths of babes. Next!
