Twelve Terrible Things [Hardcover]

Marty Kelley (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

At last, a grown-up brings to light some of the awful, horrible things kids must endure. A brother's smelly socks, a jump off the high-dive, or a sloppy kiss from a great-aunt--hey, childhood isn't without peril. In-your-face graphic paintings paired with droll text will have readers chuckling and sympathizing. Reviews

 "This is essentially Gary Greenberg'­s Pop-Up Book of Phobias (1999) but with a wonderful sense of how kids sometimes feel the world treats them. Expect this book to be a hit with not just younger children but their older teenage siblings as well. Turns the terrible into the terrific."-Kirkus Reviews

 

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 1–4—This book begins with a letter to readers: "I'm warning you. If you turn the page, you are going to see some terrible things." What follows are a dozen situations that range from unpleasant to downright awful, the stuff of nightmares for children everywhere. Realistic, double-page watercolor illustrations use a clever first-person perspective to render readers the victims of horrors such as a cheek-pinching lady, an over-the-top birthday clown, and a hairy-moled lunch lady who doesn't understand that less is more when it comes to "Industrial Strength" gravy. Another scene shows hands gripping tightly to a too-high diving board, the swimming pool looking tiny below, while a voice puts on the peer pressure, "Come on already…JUMP!" Minimal text and detailed artwork combine to convey a macabre humor that is bound to ensnare even the most hesitant of readers.—Madeline Walton-Hadlock, San Jose Public Library, CA
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Review

STARRED
KELLEY, Marty. Twelve Terrible Things. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Tricycle. Oct. 2008. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-58246-229-5. LC 2007046795.
Gr 1-4-This book begins with a letter to readers: "I'm warning you. If you turn the page, you are going to see some terrible things." What follows are a dozen situations that range from unpleasant to downright awful, the stuff of nightmares for children everywhere. Realistic, double-page watercolor illustrations use a clever first-person perspective to render readers the victims of horrors such as a cheek-pinching lady, an over-the-top birthday clown, and a hairy-moled lunch lady who doesn't understand that less is more when it comes to "Industrial Strength" gravy. Another scene shows hands gripping tightly to a too-high diving board, the swimming pool looking tiny below, while a voice puts on the peer pressure, "Come on already...JUMP!" Minimal text and detailed artwork combine to convey a macabre humor that is bound to ensnare even the most hesitant of readers.-Madeline Walton-Hadlock, San Jose Public Library, CA --School Library Journal, October, 2008

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: Tricycle Press; First edition. edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582462291
• ISBN-13: 978-1582462295
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 0.4 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,184,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three Silly Chicks Review, November 15, 2008

By 

Three Silly Chicks "www.ThreeSillyChicks.com" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twelve Terrible Things (Hardcover)

We loved this funny book which relies almost entirely on illustrations to deliver its punch. Try to think of the most mortifying things you tried to avoid in your childhood and you're sure to come up with at least one of scenes from TWELVE TERRIBLE THINGS. From the terrifying great-aunt out to pinch your cheeks to the view from atop the high dive, they are all here.

Our personal favorite is the clown scene. Frequent readers of our interviews will understand why. Check out our interviews at [.....].

Some of these jokes might zoom past very young readers (and that might be a good thing), but 2nd and 3rd graders will snort with laughter.

3.0 out of 5 stars I Liked It, But..., May 26, 2010

By 

Lindsey (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Twelve Terrible Things (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. It has beautiful pictures and is so funny, even with just a few words. However, it was a bit scary for the kids. (And I had unfortunately selected it to read before bed.) My children (ages 2 and 4) found some of the images a little frightening before bed, but they laughed out loud at other images.

5.0 out of 5 stars This hysterical book brings to mind all the nightmarish things that happen to children! (You included!), June 3, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twelve Terrible Things (Hardcover)

Everyone is warned not to turn the first page of the book because there are some horrible things lurking inside the pages. BUT, there is not a person in the world who can resist and so . . . the nightmare begins. There are twelve horrid things that can and does happen to every kid. You get a nice scrumptious strawberry ice cream cone and are ready to eat it when "oooopsie!" you find it on the floor at your feet. You swear to yourself there is "nothing under the bed . . . " but the tentacles of some strange creature are coming up from under it to get you. And then another one of your greatest nightmares is that dentist. "Say AHHHH . . . " Ugh.

Of course there is that gal that cuts your hair. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a dork? Ooooh, here comes grandma and she's looking at those CHEEKS! We don't even want to talk about that evil birthday clown! One of the worst is going to a new school. "This must be our NEW student." Yuk. Then when you're on a long trip your sister is sticking out her tongue at you and your mother says (not too nicely either) "No, we are NOT there yet!" How about that time you had to flush your goldfish down the toilet? Your heart wants to pop out of its chest when you're at the top of an Olympic-sized diving board and someone says, "Come on already . . . JUMP!" Such a living nightmare! You tell the cafeteria lady you don't like gravy, but she doesn't care. And finally your brother sticks his big stinky foot in your face and says, "Smell THIS doofus."

This book, using very few words and in very few words is hysterical. It has just about every nightmarish event that can happen in a youngster's life that sends their heart racing or makes them gnash their teeth. The illustrations in this book say it all. Admittedly, there are a few in here that used to set my teeth on edge as a kid. You are warned, don't buy this book or you'll see twelve terrible things . . . that probably happened to you when you were a kid!