Customer Reviews

The Mud Flat Olympics

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We love this book. The drawings are perfect--they're loopy, full of character, and with just the right amount of detail and color, not overworked like so many children's-book illustrations. We love the story, the dialogue, and the names--regular human names for these creatures, who act just like your neighbors and friends. Who would have thought that a snail has a personality? We like all the chapters, but the one we keep acting out is the Smelliest Skunk Contest. Franklin is so cute and Mr. Tokay still has what it takes. We kept checking Mud Flat Olympics out of the library until I (mom) decided it was about time to have our own copy.

James Stevenson is not your typical kid's book writer but that is why I like him. He's sweet without being sappy and there's a storyline with just enough tension for little kids. These are great, loose drawings and characters you can love. Read his other books, too, like The Worst books and the Grandpa books, and Monty.

My children and I have recently discovered James Stevenson's books, and this one is our favorite by far! The humor is offbeat, which makes it fun to read for both kids and adults. The illustrations are fun. Even though the drawings are simple, the expressions on the faces of the animals convey so much. The illustrations add to the humor of the book.

I am a fanatic for children's books. My husband and I read one or two per day every day, partly because we write them and partly because we simply enjoy reading them. There are wonderful ones out there. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. I don't often bad-mouth a book and try to give only good reviews, but this one is an exception. It is poorly written (consensus of the household on this one) and is not a book I'd recommend to a person wanting to buy a quality children's book. Perhaps this author has better ones, but this one doesn't "fly" with us. Frankly, I'm surprised it got a good review from someone else. I'm through complaining now. :)