This Mess [Hardcover]

Pam Conrad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1998 | Grade Level: P and up

While Daddy makes spaghetti sauce in the kitchen, Elizabeth, Sophia, and Salvatore clean up the mess in the living room and give it a fantastic appearance.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cleaning up is one of childhood's great trials, but the late Conrad (The Tub People) gives the subject wings and sends it on a giddy flight of imagination. Faced with a vague but stern directive from their father to make their messy living room "look better," Salvatore, Sophia and Elizabeth initially approach their task with minimal effort ("That's better," says Sophia after putting away the blocks, while Elizabeth takes a bow after stacking the newspapers). Then the children take the literal meaning of Dad's words to heart and really do improve the room?goofily at first (stacking the sofa cushions into a tower) and then magically (conjuring the Oriental rug to float above the sofa). "Daddy! Daddy! The room looks much better!" they shout after transforming the room into a fantasy land filled with rainbows and flying furniture, and even Dad has to agree. Conrad's infectious narrative gets a boost from imaginatively deployed typographic fillips?floating or colored letters, the sudden appearance of a different typeface, etc. Sayles's (Not in the House) pastels harness the comic energy and slightly tame it. A soft focus balances the artist's often dizzy perspectives, restraining the story's glee from erupting into mayhem. For originality and sheer merriment, this one is hard to beat. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?This one-joke picture book falls flat. Three siblings are instructed by their father, "Make this room look better." Though their initial efforts involve picking up papers and tidying away toys, these creative kids soon come up with other ideas. One turns the lampshade upside down, another moves a window so the sun will shine in, the third causes a rocking chair to float up to the ceiling. As each child takes a turn, changes in typeface and word placement mirror the action. Words are printed upside down, pulled sideways, or float toward the top of the page. Unfortunately, this effort to enliven the story only emphasizes the text's stiffness. Essentially a list of increasingly nonsensical actions, the narrative fails to bring the characters or situation to life. Sayles's colorful illustrations, executed in pastels, reflect the action but fail to extend or illuminate it. Occasional odd perspectives result in flattened faces, further distancing readers from the characters. Finally, the punch line comes: Daddy is recalled from the kitchen to give his opinion on how well the kids have carried out his request. Some children may be surprised when he responds with enthusiasm rather than wrath, but more will wonder just what the fuss is all about. Give This Mess a miss and stick with previous, more successful titles by this talented author.?Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078680159X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786801596
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,961,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Blue Balloons & Orange Cats!, September 10, 2004

By 

Daly Mavorneen "Brimstone" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Mess (Hardcover)

I think the School Library Journal's reviewer is offended by this book's slightly subversive verse: "better" in Conrad's universe is equivalent to "unconventional."

My favorite conceit is the fireplace filled with blue balloons. My favorite picture, the drawing of the kids' orange tabby contentedly sitting on the oriental rug which is now hovering just below the ceiling.

Encouraging kids to really imagine what can be done with space and texture and color, this one is for all your blooming architects, interior designers and artists!