The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Viorst, Judith

And Two Boys Booed

32 pp. | Farrar/Ferguson | September, 2014 | Trade ISBN 978-0-374-30302-0 $16.99

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. It's the day of the class talent show, and our little-boy protagonist is ready. He's last to go, though, and the nerves sneak up. He freezes, "...and two boys booed." Viorst uses repetition to create a cumulative pattern that she then breaks as the protagonist's confidence falters. Blackall's art masterfully captures the boy's ambivalence. Occasional lift-the-flaps pace the story and offer unexpected visual treats.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014