Jumpy Jack & Googily [Hardcover]

Meg Rosoff (Author), Sophie Blackall (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Meet Jumpy Jack, a very nervous snail who’s afraid of monsters, and Googily, who is a—well, who is a very good friend, indeed. Wherever they go, Googily kindly checks high and low just to make sure there are no scary monsters about. But as every child knows, monsters come in many shapes and sizes. Some are even blue with hairy eyebrows and pointy teeth.

Here is a universal story of friendship and fear of the unknown told with wit and charm by the fantastic team who created the irresistible Meet Wild Boars.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—Jumpy Jack is a snail with buck teeth and a paralyzing fear of monsters. His friend Googily is a round, blue creature with sharp teeth, wild eyebrows, tentacle-like fingers, a bowler hat, and a kind heart. As they make their way home through a sunlit landscape, Jumpy Jack repeatedly stops and asks his friend to check for monsters before they proceed. Googily patiently complies, and there is much visual humor in the contrast between his large features looming up from behind windows and doors ("No monsters here! Or here!") and the snail's relieved response: "Phew!" This contrast also highlights the irrationality of Jumpy Jack's fears, and the power of a trusted friend to allay them. At the end of the day, the pals settle down to sleep, and it's Jack's turn to reassure Googily. The interplay between the two creates a wonderfully safe space for children to explore their fears. Youngsters will quickly pick up on the repetition, and the story may provide an opportunity for them to discuss their own "monsters." The text, which consists entirely of dialogue, employs a formal elevated tone that gently chides Jumpy Jack's childish fears, adding an element of dry humor. The illustrations are filled with whimsical details, from Googily's dapper wardrobe to the characters' matching dolls. The calm, slightly muted palette, along with the friendly expressiveness of the protagonists' faces, sends the subtle message that there is truly nothing here to fear.—Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, Salisbury, MD
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From Booklist

Jumpy Jack is a snail who is worried about monsters. Is there one behind that tree? Floating in the wading pool? Hiding in the house? Happily, Jumpy Jack has a friend, Googily, who is willing to check out all the places monsters might be hiding. The joke is that Googily is a monster himself, a fact that goes unnoticed by both. Mistaken monsters is a picture-book subgenre all its own, but the considerable talents of Rosoff and Blackall elevate this from the rest. Cavorting on creamy-colored backgrounds, the fang-toothed, blue-skinned Googily and timid Jack (a bit googly-eyed himself) milk all the deadpan humor out of the situation. Young ones will adore getting the joke and perceiving themselves smarter than the protagonists. The funniest moments come when Jack asks specific questions: “What if a monster stares at me through the letterbox and sticks out his awful tongue?” That will never happen, Googily assures him, then proceeds to do just that. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080508066X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805080667
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Meg Rosoff was born in Boston, educated at Harvard and St Martin's College of Art, and worked in New York City for ten years before moving to London permanently in 1989. She worked in publishing, politics, PR and advertising until 2004, when she wrote her first novel, How I Live Now, which won the Guardian Children's fiction prize (UK), Michael L Printz prize (US), the Die Zeit children's book of the year (Germany) and was shortlisted for the Orange first novel award. Her second novel, Just in Case, won the 2007 Carnegie Medal. Meg's latest book is The Bride's Farewell. She lives in London with her husband, daughter and two very hairy dogs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Look at What We Find Scary, June 19, 2008

By 

Stephanie A. Tucker (Santa Cruz, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jumpy Jack & Googily (Hardcover)

I got this book after falling in love with Rosoff & Blackall's collaboration, "Meet Wild Boars." While "Jumpy Jack & Googlily" are slightly less enthusiastically received by my 2-two, we both like this book quite a lot.

I love finding the clues in the text and illustrations that prove what my son and I are already suspecting -- that Googily is indeed a monster. It's smart, a bit of a puzzle, and it keeps the reader and listener actively engaged -- which helps make repeat readings interesting.

This is the first "monster" book I've read with my son. I was a bit worried that it might create some monster-angst, much as I remember "Where the Wild Things Are" doing for me, but it hasn't. In fact, it presents monsters in a very unscary light.

While I doubt my two-year old is consciously pondering the philosophy of "the Other," this book successfully shares a story of a snail who is afraid of what (he thinks) he does not know. In the end we learn that a single sock may actually be much, much more frightening than a big, bug-eyed, blue, bushy-eyebrowed, two-fingered, thin-footed, bowler-hat-and-shorts wearing, monster - depending on the perspective through which we view the world.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A big hit, June 18, 2009

By 

Merrilee G. Anderson "science geek" (Frigid, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jumpy Jack & Googily (Hardcover)

My son who just turned six found this so hilarious I had to read it every night this week! Great book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute story., February 14, 2009

By 

Victoria Saks (Katonah, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jumpy Jack & Googily (Hardcover)

My 4 yr. old son chose this book at the library and loved it so much that we decided to buy it for him. It's still a favorite and he likes it because it makes monsters a little less scary.