Late for School [Hardcover]

Mike Reiss (Author), Michael Austin (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-"My name is Smitty./I come from the city/And I live by one simple rule./I may not be smartest-/No athlete, no artist-/But I've never been late for school." On this particular day, however, the youngster faces a variety of obstacles as he races through New York City on his way to class. Reiss concocts a series of potentially hilarious hurdles-snow and floods, a ghoulish bus driver, a giant robot, a T. rex skeleton dripping with drool, and more. Unfortunately, Smitty's heroics are underwhelmed by the plodding rhymed text. With a few exceptions ("He gobbled up Hyundais/Like butterscotch sundaes"), the rhymes are facile. Austin's airbrushed acrylic illustrations are painted from off-kilter, cinematic angles, forcing readers to tilt their heads back and forth with each page turn. While imaginative and painstakingly detailed, the paintings' hyperrealism and Smitty's grotesque facial contortions come off as creepy and unappealing. The book's familiar theme, bizarre look, and predictable text might attract hi-lo readers, but it's a marginal purchase.
Eve Ortega, Cypress Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Children tardy and timely alike will laugh at this droll recitation. -- Kirkus Reviews,August 1, 2003

Featuring a catchy cadence, rhyming tale and pleasingly exaggerated artwork... A surprise ending... wraps up this satisfyingly silly caper. -- Publishers Weekly,November 10, 2003

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Pub Ltd (J) (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561452866
• ISBN-13: 978-1561452866
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,885,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining excuses, February 3, 2004

By 

Sarah Lewis (booklete dot com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Late for School (Hardcover)

This is an amusing tale of one boy's heroic efforts to get to school on time. Told in easy-to-read rhymes that impart a lyric rhythm to this story, we follow Scotty as he outwits aliens, dinosaurs, whales, and snowmen who would stand in the way of his arrival at school.

The illustrations are rendered with a combination of airbrushing, painting and drawing, and the stellar results of this method and Michael Austin's creative use of perspectives makes the artwork the highlight of this book.

Younger children will be drawn in by the bright colors, funny situations, and the sound of the rhymes, and school-aged children may recognize (or admire!) some of the scenarios. They will probably also suspect they know what's going on, until the last couple of pages, when there is a surprise twist.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars We loved it., November 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Late for School (Hardcover)

As students we appreciate what Smitty endured in his valiant effort to get to school on time. The illustrations have a brilliant and wacky quality with strange perspective that is a surprise and a delight. Each page is a delightful adventure. It is a great read aloud book and our librarian read it to us. We won't tell the ending.
Students at Harbor Day School

5.0 out of 5 stars Master Illustrator, April 28, 2004

By 

D. Cruikshank (MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Late for School (Hardcover)

While the rhyming text may be a bit forced at times, the book's illustrations are breathtakingly vivid and strange. Austin clearly has talent to burn and an original vision. I look foward to seeing more of his art. He reminds me in some ways of another great illustrator of our time, Chris Van Allsburg--both have a quirky, somewhat unsettling way of presenting things so that we can see them in new ways.