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Snicket, Lemony
26 Reviews
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Rilla Alexander.
A swarm of bees (dots of black and yellow in the stylized rubber-stamp and ink art) parallels an angry-looking boy throwing tomatoes at everyone around town. Chaos builds until a beekeeper captures the bees, now calm; and the boy's adult caretaker gives him a hug. The cumulative-mischief/chase/eventual-pasta-feast plot comes with a message about anger: "It can feel good to be angry. It can feel better to stop."
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2019
(1)
K-3
Illustrated by
Lisa Brown.
A goldfish ghost wafts around a seaside town looking for companionship until he meets the lonely ghost of a lighthouse keeper. In this straightforward quest story, emotion is conveyed by color: the world of the living is all warm pink and beige; the ghost world slate-gray and dark teal, with typing-paper-white ghost figures. In the field of pet bereavement narratives, this stands out for its tenderness, originality, and subtlety.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2017
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Matthew Forsythe.
A bad mood, illustrated as a scowling rainbow-colored cloud, hangs over Curly's head after her mother says no to ice cream. When Curly pokes her little brother with a stick, it cheers her up but transfers the bad mood to her mother. And so on--until the neatly circular ending. The cheeriness of the yellow-and-orange gouache, colored-ink, and pencil drawings offsets any unkindness in the story.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2017
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Lisa Brown.
Siblings investigate the Swinster Pharmacy: is it a run-of-the-mill shop that sells "aspirin and toothpaste," as a police officer asserts? Or, is it something more sinister? Snicket nails the intensity of a child's curiosity, but the book (twenty-nine observations ranging from quirky to lyrical to matter-of-fact) ultimately--and perhaps intentionally--leaves readers in the dark. Brown's illustrations are just right: gloomy and eerie.
Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger
(2)
4-6
All the Wrong Questions series.
Illustrated by
Seth.
In his third adventure, twelve-year-old Lemony Snicket, apprentice investigator, tackles a series of arsons in the economically depressed and mysterious town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea. Clues of the gray-matter sort (such as anagrams) combine with escapes, attacks, cliffhangers, and looming bad guys to keep the whole crazy plot buoyant. Film noir and children's literature references, from Patricia Highsmith to Beatrix Potter, support the good-natured satire.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2015
(2)
4-6
All the Wrong Questions series.
Illustrated by
Seth.
Kid-detective Lemony Snicket treats us to thirteen short mysteries (missing newt, ghostly appearance, series of break-ins) in which he leaves readers poised just before the reveal, with a chance to solve the mystery themselves before they flip to the back of the book. (It's Encyclopedia Brown for Snicket-Hipsters.) The actual puzzles are dandy, and the format is ideal for the author's comic avalanche.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2014
(1)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jon Klassen.
When the comforting glow of Laszlo's nightlight goes out, the dark comes to visit and speaks to Laszlo: "I want to show you something." With his command of language, tone, and pacing, Snicket creates the perfect antidote to a universal fear. Using simple black lines and color contrasts to provide atmosphere and depth, Klassen captures the essence of Snicket's story.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2013
(2)
4-6
All the Wrong Questions series.
Illustrated by
Seth.
A further adventure for the young private eye Lemony Snicket involves the disappearance of a brilliant young chemist, the only hope for rejuvenation of the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea. In the course of Snicket's investigation he reconnects with characters from "Who Could That Be at This Hour?" This tongue-in-cheek adventure is peppered with references to classic children's books.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2013
(2)
4-6
All the Wrong Questions series.
Illustrated by
Seth.
Young Lemony is a detective apprentice in the Sam Spade mode, successfully investigating the theft of a black wooden statue. In a style equal parts deadpan and just plain nutty, Snicket demonstrates his gift for metaphor, and illustrations by cartoonist Seth are a perfect tonal match. Take a deep breath, fans: this is the first of a new series.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2013
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Maira Kalman.
Snicket spins out a story from thirteen main words, starting with "1: Bird" and ending with "13: Mezzo-Soprano." A bird is despondent ("Word Number 2"). His friend Dog tries to cheer him up with cake and a new hat from the "9: Haberdashery." Kalman's artistry adds panache ("Word Number 12") to the lighthearted yet layered story of friendship and vocabulary-boosting.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Carson Ellis.
Snicket's musical mystery begins with a murder. A comically overzealous inspector then interrogates each section of the orchestra. Puns and wordplay figure heavily while information about the instruments is imparted. Delicate line illustrations with lots of white space help readers navigate the tale's deliberate cacophony. A CD of the story read by Snicket, accompanied by the San Francisco Symphony, is included.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
A nattily dressed lump of coal attempts to express himself creatively through drawing. He's stymied until crossing paths with a drugstore Santa. Snicket's humor, including tenuous logic and snappy wordplay, is on full display. Helquist's full-color illustrations manage to make the protagonist look like an actual lump of coal, albeit one that dreams of creative fulfillment.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2008
(4)
4-6
This book offers aphorisms about family, school, books, travel, love, and other subjects, all of which reflect Snicket's particular worldview. Though some are funny or (gasp!) earnest, even Snicket fans may find that the dourness so effectively incorporated into his Series of Unfortunate Events stories wears thin without an overarching narrative thread to tie everything together.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
(3)
4-6
Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
In this thirteenth and final volume, the Baudelaires are shipwrecked on an island with both their tormentor, Count Olaf, and their ally, Kit Snicket. The story focuses on the dangers of willful ignorance and is, of course, couched in zanily over-the-top predicaments. Snicket excels at balancing the expectation of happy ending against his own repeated declarations that none exists.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2007
(3)
4-6
Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
This omnibus edition contains the first three books in the series: The Bad Beginning (1999), The Reptile Room (1999), and The Wide Window (2000). The unbelievable plot turns and one-dimensional characters are offset by stylistic flourishes and Snicket's distinct literary voice, which make these parodies clever and entertaining.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
The Baudelaire siblings continue running from evil Count Olaf in this eleventh volume. Though the premise never changes and the authorial voice remains as self-consciously roguish as ever, this episode places the orphans in a new setting (a submarine), where they struggle with a new crisis (baby Sunny nearly expires from poison mushrooms), and an eventual happy ending is hinted at.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
In this longer-than-usual installment, Violet and Klaus Baudelaire travel to the Mortmain Mountains in hopes of finding their little sister Sunny, who has been kidnapped by the evil Count Olaf. The Baudelaires meet up with an old friend, Count Olaf is betrayed by two members of his entourage, and the telling of this intentionally over-the-top story is as arch (and one-note) as ever.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
Ever-victimized Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire try to evade their nemesis Count Olaf by joining a carnival as sideshow freaks. The older siblings masquerade as a two-headed person, while Sunny dons a beard and pretends to be half-wolf. The series is formulaic but remains darkly humorous with Snicket providing his unique first-person commentary about bad things happening to good children.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
Now ensconced in a penthouse with status-seeking guardians, the Baudelaire orphans fret about their friends (the missing Quagmire triplets) and enemies (the always-lurking Count Olaf). This installment also features an intriguing hint that the series' dedicatee, the ill-fated Beatrice, plays a role in the orphans' fate, though the plot devices and narrative voice remain unvaried from the previous five volumes in the series.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Illustrated by
Brett Helquist.
The orphans, still trying to evade Count Olaf, are adopted by a town that believes in the motto "It takes a village...." But before long, the villagers are ready to burn Violet, Klaus, and Sunny at the stake. They escape to the Heimlich Hospital, where Olaf and his cohorts nearly perform a grotesque operation on Violet. Though formulaic, the darkly humorous volumes show continuing character development. [Review covers these Series of Unfortunate Events titles: The Hostile Hospital and The Vile Village.]
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
26 reviews
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