From Publishers Weekly
The creators of Get Out of Bed! here offer a rather rootless tale about what happens when a boy, frustrated with his unruly tresses, yells, "Hair, I hate you!" The phrase becomes a refrain as Aaron's hair, its feelings hurt, jumps off his head and affixes itself to various people's body parts, beginning with the head of his baby sibling and including a woman's navel and a man's behind, and finally proceeds to a policeman who can't see to direct traffic when the hair flies onto his face. When each victim yells, "Hair, I hate you!" the hair heads on its way. Though this repetitive refrain and the story's broad humor may attract a few kids, most will find this feckless fare. The illustrators exploit the tale's outlandish visual potential to the level of slapstick sitcom, creating cartoon-style watercolors of Aaron's 1960s-holdover family as well as a Deadhead motorcyclist and a hippie on inline skates. Far from one of this storyteller's glossiest performances. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-Growing totally frustrated with his unruly mop of tangles, Aaron declares that he hates his hair. The insulted locks take off, with the bald boy in pursuit. The chase leads downtown where the runaway mane causes much disruption by attaching itself to various people and to a famous statue. Finally, hair and boy are reunited although whether the blond curls will stay on top of his head or imitate his father's beard is still in question. The watercolor illustrations help evoke the turmoil described, but the joke goes on way too long. The theme has been mined recently in Dawn Lesley Stewart's Harriet's Horrible Hair Day (Peachtree, 2000), Lindsay Lee Johnson's Hurricane Henrietta (Dial, 1998), and Carolivia Herron's Nappy Hair (Knopf, 1997). Perhaps die-hard Munsch fans will want to see this title, but most readers won't miss it.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
