From Publishers Weekly
"Mr. Bundy is the principal of P.S. 88. He is also the sharpest dresser in town." So begins this marvelous update of Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes. The deliciously evil Moe and Ivy approach Mr. Bundy about a new suit made of cloth invisible to those who are stupid or unfit for their jobs. Lie upon lie builds up because no one (including Mr. Bundy) dares to admit to not seeing the fabric. On the day Mr. Bundy plans to show off his new duds, he arrives at school in his very chic underwear. A kindergartner finally calls out the truth, much to everybody's relief. Mr. Bundy is inundated with clothes to wear and, even in his hodge-podge of garments, he still looks sharp. Calmenson's rendition of this beloved tale of self-aggrandizement is particularly fun because of its contemporary setting. The ending is a kinder one since the principal joins in the fun of his predicament. In her appealing watercolors, Brunkus gives the bad guys wicked eyebrows and nearly everyone wears outrageous clothing. A lighthearted poke at authority and vanity. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-- An updated version of Andersen's classic story, with a snappily dressed elementary-school principal cast in the role of the emperor. Mr. Bundy wears a different suit each day of the month. Moe and Ivy, two trickster tailors, arrive and offer to make an amazing suit invisible to anyone who is either incompetent or stupid. Duped by them, Mr. Bundy wears his invisible new clothes to the school assembly. At this point the story deviates from Andersen's wonderfully ambiguous final scene of the emperor acknowledging reality but choosing to maintain pride and illusion. Calmenson's principal enters the auditorium clad in his underwear, and one kindergartner blurts out the truth. All the kids and teachers pass clothes up to the stage, and, finally, a sportily attired Mr. Bundy gives the kindergarten child a gold star for her honesty. The story concludes with the entire school agreeing that their principal is smart, competent, and "still the sharpest dresser." The cartoonlike watercolor illustrations reinforce the literal quality of the story, caricature the tricksters as Disneyesque villains, and stereotype the school genius as the quintessential "nerd." In this too-literal retelling and illustrating of a timeless tale, children are deprived of the necessity and pleasure of actively participating, imagining, and drawing inferences. Andersen said it better 150 years ago, and his version still speaks today.
-Pamela Miller Ness, The Fenn School, Concord, MACopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
