Skeleton Hiccups (Library Binding)

~ (Author), S. D. Schindler (Illustrator) "Had the hiccups..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Skeletons are a little less scary when they have the hiccups. This particular skeleton can't seem to shake them--not in the shower (nice fuzzy bat slippers!), not while brushing his teeth (woops! there goes the bottom jaw!), not while polishing his bones, carving a pumpkin, raking leaves, or even when playing baseball with his friend Ghost. Ghost, instead of Boo-ing! away his buddy's hiccups right away as we might expect, advises Skeleton to hold his breath and eat some sugar and drink water upside down. When he finally does Boo! it still doesn't work. But when Ghost finds a mirror and holds it up to Skeleton's face, he sees his reflection and screams in fright! The hiccups jump away, hic, hic, hic. While it's novel to see a skeleton eating sugar, drinking water, showering, etc., it may be tricky to find the right audience for this unusual picture book that's more about hiccups than Halloween. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Skeleton's persistent hiccups prevent him from polishing his bones (his arm jerks loose), carving a pumpkin, raking leaves, etc. "Drink some water upside down," advises Ghost, but the liquid pours out Skeleton's eye sockets. Relief finally comes when Ghost pulls out a mirror and Skeleton scares himself. Cuyler (The Biggest, Best Snowman) punctuates each sentence with a "hic, hic, hic," while Schindler (Big Pumpkin) limns woebegone Skeleton in pale blue-white on elegantly mottled burgundies and evergreens. The illustrations may be spare, but most contain a sly detail or two (check out Skeleton's bat slippers). The commonplace condition and unlikely victim make for offbeat-hic-comedy. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback Books: A Division of Sanval (August 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417743131
• ISBN-13: 978-1417743131
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,743,032 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (hic!) Halloween (hic!) fun!! (hic, hic, hic!), October 26, 2002

By	Chess Heart "paxbear" (Cattauraugus County, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skeleton Hiccups (Hardcover)

Skeleton wakes up one morning (the headboard of his bed is a gravestone with RIP engraved on it) and discovers that he's got a bad case of the hiccups. He starts his day off, but the hiccups aren't making things easy for him. In the shower, he looses the soap. Brushing his teeth, his jaw flies off! Polishing his bones, the hiccups cause his arm to come undone! Carving a pumpkin and raking leaves aren't easy, either, with these bone-rattling hiccups!

When Skeleton goes outside to play ball with Ghost, the old remedies for curing hiccups are suggested. Skeleton eats some sugar (which falls through his jawbone and over his ribs), he drinks a glass of water standing on his head (he water gushes out of his eye sockets), and Ghost tries to scare him. Well, nothing works until Ghost gets a sneaky idea involving a mirror...

The team of Cuyler and Schindler have combined to produce a wonderful and funny book in "Skeleton Hiccups." The illustrations are big and bold with vibrant colors that delight the eye. Skeleton is beautifully drawn with enough detail to see his individual bones but not so much detail that he'd be scary to young children. Ghost, too, is a character, sporting a blue baseball cap he wears backwards and a pug nose. The pages are large and uncluttered and easy to read.

The text of "Skeleton Hiccups" is brief and simple, with small-font "hic! Hic! Hic!"s bouncing on each page as skeleton tries to go about his business with these pesky hiccups. When I read this book to a class of preschoolers, they really liked the hic-hic-hic part, and would repeat it every time they saw it on the page. Children who were normally a bit skittish around Halloween skeletons thought that this one was pretty funny, especially because he had troubles that they themselves have had!

"Skeleton Hiccups" is perfect for Halloween time, of course, but there's no reason why it should only be read during October. I showed the book to the art teacher at our school who immediately fell in love with it-"it's sooo hard for kids to draw skeletons!" she said, "they require so much detail. But THIS Skeleton is just perfect!" She went on to say that she intends to use this book and another one called "Hobgoblin and the Skeleton" to teach about human anatomy and proportion in her art classes.

For anyone who likes Halloween or a good laugh, for those of us who have a fascination with the human skeleton, this book comes highly recommended!!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially in keeping with the Halloween season, September 5, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skeleton Hiccups (Hardcover)

A simple word text by Margery Cuyler is wonderfully illustrated by S. D. Schindler making Skeleton Hiccups a highly recommendable and spooky picture book for young readers just learning to sound out their first words. The playful theme of a skeleton plagued with hiccups and the ingenious cure his ghost friend discovers make for a thoroughly delightful tale that is especially in keeping with the Halloween season.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Non Scary Skeleton Book!, October 12, 2006

By	History_of_Art_Geek (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skeleton Hiccups (Hardcover)

Skeleton Hiccups is truly an original, and the artwork is the shining star. The images are creative, and hilarious! S.D. Schindler's work, the same illustrator of the famed Big Pumpkin, is fresh and creative. For instance, Skeleton's bed has a headstone headboard with R.I.P. craved into the back. In another scene where Skeleton is shining his bones, the can of polish says, "Ghost-White Bone Polish." I love the absurdity.

In no way are the pictures scary, or upsetting. Margery Cuyler's writing is simplistic, and appropriate for the very young such as a 2-years old. Older children 6 and above might be amused, but bored. Skeleton Hiccups isn't a Halloween book per se, but it helped to get us in the mood for the season. My 5-year old adores this book and has slept with it for the last 10-days! A REAL winner in my corner!