From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1–When big kids start to bully Little Critter and make his life miserable, he decides that the only solution is to get taller. In an attempt to speed up the process, he crams down veggies, exercises to exhaustion, and finally builds himself a "growing machine" to sit in. When his height remains unchanged, he takes his troubles to his grandpa, who shows him that biggest isn't always best. In the disappointing ending, Little Critter challenges the big kids to a relay race that he and his smaller friends illogically win. Colorful cartoons depict the fuzzy brown protagonist along with all of the other animal characters. While fans of the series may not mind the pat ending, readers looking for tales with a little more panache should stick with Helen Lester's
Hooway for Wodney Wat (Houghton, 1999), Alexis O'Neil's
Recess Queen (Scholastic, 2002), or Pat Hutchins's classic,
Titch (Turtleback, 1971).
–Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Mercer Mayer began writing and illustrating children's books in 1966. Since that time, he has published more than 300 titles and created the best-selling Little Critter#174; books. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mercer Mayer moved to Hawaii as a teenager and he attended the Honolulu Academy of Arts. He later studied at the Art Students League in New York City. outside my window was one of the first picture books he illustrated. Mercer Mayer lives on the East Coast with his family, their dogs Belle and Buttercup, and Tickles the cat. He continues to write and illustrate books for children.
