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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Buddy, Slug, November 10, 2006
This review is from: My Buddy, Slug (Hardcover)
Jarrett J. Krosoczka's latest title, "My Buddy, Slug," tackles a topic not often seen in picture books: What do you do when you see your best friend just a little too often?
Alex has encountered just this problem: "It used to be Slug, Kevin, and me--the unstoppable three. Until Kevin moved away. Now it's just Slug and me...all the time."
Alex sees Slug so often, that's he's dying for a little alone time. Slug is around every corner. He shows up at the dentist, at the mall, even for dinner.
On one such occasion, Alex's mom invites Slug for a sleepover. Slug talks and talks. He tells jokes, stories, asks philosophical questions. And, Alex is beyond annoyed.
The next morning Alex "had words" with his mother. He yells, "I'm sick of him!" You can guess who overhears this heated conversation and whose feelings are really, really hurt.
I have absolutely no idea why Alex's best friend is a giant, orange slug, but Slug is awfully cute and colorful. Krosoczka's illustrations are as expressive as ever and the story he tells is, at the same time, unique and one every young school child will recognize. "My Buddy, Slug" is highly recommended for children ages 4-9.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A definite hit in my classroom., April 4, 2008
This review is from: My Buddy, Slug (Hardcover)
Child Pleasing Read ~~~ Recommended ~~~ 5 stars
The Review The tale is offered in the first person wherein the reader finds the little boy talking about his friends. 'It used to be Slug, Kevin and me - the unstoppable three.' Before long Kevin moves leaving only Slug and the little boy telling the story. 'And Slug was everywhere I was. Morning, noon and night, on the bus, in art class, at the library. You name it, if I was there, there was Slug as well.' Of course, the inevitable happened. When the narrator could not take anymore total togetherness; he handled the situation in predictable, child like fashion.
'And, I found it was beginning to be too much. Finally it happened, I told my mother exactly how I felt. What I didn't know was that Slug was there in the doorway.' The narrator really wasn't trying to make Slug feel bad, it was just that the little boy needed a some time to himself. And he got time to himself all right. Slug wasn't around much anymore.
'When I did see him Slug hardly spoke, and I didn't like that any more than I did when he was there all the time.'
I suppose we have each had a friend who is out of the ordinary. We have had a friend who does now and then, get on our nerves. Or, maybe it is we who is the one who just never knows when to stop, when to go home, or when to do something with another friend. Wanting to spend too much time together is a problem that each of us will likely face sooner or later.
Adults, generally have learned how to deal with clinging friends in such a way that will help us retain the friendship and allow us some time for ourselves, or other friends. On the other hand, kids often do not know how to handle such a situation, need to learn how to work out this important issue, and if not careful lose a friend they would like to keep simply because the best friend forever gets to be too much.
Writer Jarrett Krosoczka provides children an excellent tool in his work, My Buddy, Slug. Without becoming preachy, or insistent, Krosoczka tells of one child's situation with a friend who just never knew when to hang back for a while.
When first I held up the book; my resident critics gave it an incredulous, horrified oblique glance and voiced unconditional consternation A SLUG! ' YOU'RE GOING TO READ A BOOK ABOUT A SLUG', 'A SLUG IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE, SLIMY, YOU KNOW, THINGS's, was voiced gracefully in primordial screech.
I turned to the first page and they, fourth grade, Wynona OK school, settled back to listen with as much open mind as they could gather together. The class does/did face their job as critics gravely. It did not take long before; the class was leaning forward, gazing raptly at the book and were noticeably drawn into the tale.
As I closed the book; the kids agreed little kids will like it, but they won't really 'get' it. Each of my 4th grade students thought the book was a good choice for 'mature' fourth graders as well as the little kids in the target audience, ''because it helps us understand more about why our friends get tired of us when we are afraid to give them some space. And the little kids need to learn this too.'
I got my chance to put to the test whether or not the little kids might get it or not. My first grade this year did not view the slug with the same dismay as had their older counterparts, they just thought he was cute. And, I'm please to say, that while they do not have the vocabulary to completely express what they are feeling or thinking, they also understood that a friend who is too much there gets to be too much. The first graders as well were able to verbalize the need for themselves to explain to friends, or, to be the friend who does, now and then, allow their friends time with others and time for themselves.
My Buddy, Slug is a volume certain to please the read to crowd ages 3 -7. The edition is well-built, packed with brightly colored illustrations and child pleasing setting. The work is a read with help for the strong reading 7s and 8s, and is a read alone, or an I'll read to you for the 9 - 10 year old set
Once I had begun to read the narrative; the 4th graders lost all reservations about slug being a, gasp, slug. The first graders never had any such problems. As I finished reading; the kids, 4th and 1st alike, agreed a slug was perfect as a friend.
Being mature fourth graders my class particularly enjoyed all writer Krosoczka's long winded slug talk sprinkled through the book. My first graders this year enjoy it as much.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend for the personal reading list, and the school and home library shelf. My Buddy, Slug is a definite hit in my classroom.
Molly Martin
Reviewer
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Why, there are Slugs that know karate / There are Slugs as big as you, September 17, 2006
This review is from: My Buddy, Slug (Hardcover)
We've all had that friend who's very dear to us but once in a while gets on our nerves. It could be the co-worker who always talks about her gout or the college roommate that liked to jabber non-stop through movies. It's a problem that hits people of every age, race, gender, or persuasion. For adults, our ability to deal with such friends is a talent we've cultivated over the years. Kids, on the other hand, need to learn how to deal. For them, Jarrett Krosoczka has given them, "My Buddy, Slug". Well told without ever descending into preachiness, Krosoczka tells one boy's tale of the friend who just never knew when to quit.
At first there were three friends: Kevin, Alex, and Slug. Then Kevin moved away and it was just Slug and Alex left. And that's fine, cause they are friends, after all. Such good friends, in fact, that they do everything together. School. Shopping. Homework. But when Alex wants some alone time, Slug just doesn't know how to take a hint. When he ends up at Alex's house eating dinner with the fam and staying the night, that's the last straw. Alex vents his frustration about his friend loudly enough that poor Slug gets his feelings hurt. Now Alex has to do the right thing if he ever wants to get back the only best friend he's got.
A co-worker of mine read through this book and commented that he liked the matter-of-fact way in which this book dealt with the fact that Slug was a slug. It's funny, but this never even occurred to me. Like many of the kids who will come to read it, I accepted from page 1 that Alex's best friend was an approximately 5'6" neon orange invertebrate. I mean, the book certainly could have been written with Slug a kid, and many an author would have gone that route. It takes a particularly nice and twisted brain, however, to think up something, or someONE, as outrageous and friendly as Slug. A tip of the hat to the way Mr. Krosoczka's brain works. I do wonder what number of parents will pick up this book expecting it to be about a boy who creates a gigantic slug and the troubles that follow. For them, Krosoczka's tale can only come as a wonderful surprise.
And I liked that the book addressed why it was that Slug follows Kevin around as closely as he does. When the two friends make up, Slug launches into his longest loudest speechifying yet. In it, he mentions that he probably wasn't giving Alex any alone time because he was afraid he'd lose him just as he already lost Kevin. A picture book that can justify the twists in its narrative. Whatta concept! Now as a librarian I did have to test the readaloud potential of the book. Some books are one-on-one books and some will hold a large crowd of first graders enrapt. "My Buddy, Slug", seems to fall right down the center. On the one hand the bright pictures and clear cut situations make it ideal readaloud material. On the other hand, Krosoczka's worked in so many witty little asides and snips of dialogue (particularly in that final Slug speech) that it may not work with a group. I think it hangs entirely on your presentation technique. If you think you'll be able to get the kids interested when you're reading Slug's opinion on the differences between lemons and limes, all power to you.
Mr. Krosoczka does have one cross to bear that may follow him for the first few years of his publishing. His style of drawing, oddly enough, looks mighty similar to that of Joe Cepeda. I mean, there are obvious differences. Mr. Cepeda has many charms, but I've yet to see him give voice to safety cone-colored escargot (or slugs for that matter). There's just something about the thick acrylics Krosoczka's working with here that bring to mind Cepeda's, "Captain Bob Sets Sail" or "What a Truly Cool World". The book actually does some lovely things with light (as when Alex and Slug are watching a movie at night) and when it comes to sluggy shadows, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have illustrate them. Plus there's a great Slug-related medley of images as he keeps Alex up at night with his incessant chatter. Sharp eyed kids will also notice that on Alex's refrigerator are the photos of himself and his friends that appear on the first two pages of the book. And is it just me or does Alex's sister have a crush on Slug?
I'm sure that if "My Buddy, Slug" enjoys any of the success of Mr. Krosoczka's previous efforts, expect him to be getting his own show on Noggin soon. For further slug related fare (if that's what you're into) you might want to change gears and check out the fearful "Slugs" by David Greenburg or "Some Smug Slug" by Pamela Duncan Edwards, which is the best alliterative slug-related tale on the market today. For a bit of sweetness with your sluggary, however, this book stands alone. Fun and with an interior logic that kids are bound to get a kick out of.
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