The Book of Bad Ideas [Hardcover]

Laura Huliska-Beith (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Have you ever done something and then thought "Uh-oh, that was a bad idea?"

How about the time you asked your best friend to give you a haircut?

Or, when you went roller-skating with your dog (who was just kicked out of obedience school)?

Talented newcomer Laura Huliska-Beith has put all her ideas into one book: The Book of Bad Ideas -- a collection of laugh-out-loud scenes guaranteed to have readers eagerly recounting their own bad ideas.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First time author-illustrator Huliska-Beith is so sure that every youngster hatches such plans as "bringing home a cute, cuddly, stray animal" or "jumping off the high dive to show off your itsy-bitsy bathing suit" that she relishes listing good ideas gone bad (in no particular order) from her own childhood in this playfully wacky picture book. From "Bad Idea #98: Cramming something into a tight space without knowing if you can get it back out" (she pictures a child with a goldfish bowl on his head, another with a lima bean up his nose) to "Bad Idea #828: Throwing a surprise party for your imaginary friend," Huliska-Beith's wry look at such simultaneously embarrassing and hilarious moments will have readers cracking up. A crew of kids, parents, pets and innocent bystanders cavorts across the high-energy spreads, each scene a comic melange of acrylic paint, fabric and cut-paper collage. At every turn, arms flail, kids wail and eyeballs roll amidst such backdrops as flying ice cream or marching ants that take over show-and-tell. After this romp, both kids and adults may well be ready to share some of their "bad" ideas, too. All ages. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Not your typical picture book. Huliska-Beith has compiled a list of "bad ideas" and through her humorous artwork shows the sometimes embarrassing, sometimes catastrophic results of putting them into practice. Readers can envision bad idea #11: "Jumping off the high dive to show off your new itsy-bitsy bathing suit." The illustration shows a red-faced girl in the pool with her bikini top floating nearby while the other swimmers look on in amusement. Other bad ideas include in-line skating with your disobedient dog, taking an ice-cream cone on a roller coaster, sticking something up your nose, and "parking your toy truck in the oven." The colorful full-spread drawings are done in a combination of acrylic paint and collage. There is much going on behind the scenes in these pictures and children will want to read through the book again to see what they missed the first time. This is a great read-aloud, after which listeners are sure to have some ideas of their own to relate (hopefully they won't get any from this book). A delightfully funny offering.
Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; 1 edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316087483
• ISBN-13: 978-0316087483
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,157,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone has Bad Ideas, September 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Bad Ideas (Hardcover)

I love this book! It reminds me of growing up in a house with three little brothers. Every family has their own memories of bad ideas. Laura Huliska-Beith tells of hers with flair and creativity. The illustrations are colorful and rich in texture. There is something new to laugh about every time I read it. I'm buying a copy for each of my brothers!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read aloud!, January 20, 2001

By 

M. Cuttill "mfmsteach" (Cental Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Bad Ideas (Hardcover)

As a 6th grade teacher whose students love picture books (though they wouldn't admit it), this is a great read aloud. The kids laughed and laughed and couldn't wait to create their own "bad ideas". Great choice for any age!

5.0 out of 5 stars I Love This Book!, September 16, 2011

By 

C. Jaeger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Book of Bad Ideas, The (Hardcover)

This is a perfect book! I read this with my students every year, and then we make a class book of our own "bad" ideas. Watching the kids think about their own experiences and then having them put these ideas on paper is so fun! Now, I wish I could buy more copies of this book to share with everyone. Will it ever be reprinted?