A Bad Case of Stripes

Rating:
Summary: A Bad Case of Stripes
Review: Camilla Cream absolutely loves lima beans. She won't eat them because it's not cool to eat lima beans. She will do anything just to fit in. On the first day of school Camilla woke up with different colored stripes all over her body. After being covered with stripes came stars, polka dots, and checkerboards. Camilla's classmates notice what is going on and they call out different designs and Camilla's skin reacts. All sorts of specialists come to Camilla's rescue but nothing seems to work. In the end, an environmental therapist gives Camilla directions to become one with her room and that is precisely what Camilla does. Her eyes become pictures on the wall and her lips become the bed. An old lady then comes and has the remedy for Camilla, lima beans.
The illustrations in this book are amazing. The illustrations are very creative and complete the text to the fullest. The details in the text along with the illustrations will definitely attract young readers. This is such a creative story line to teach such a simple lesson; that it is okay to be different. I would recommend this book for ages 5-9.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: Camilla loves lima beans, but won't eat them because no other children like them. One day she wakes up with bright stripes across her face. From then on she turns into anything she eats or talks about. She then learns to deal with being different and made fun of by her classmates, until a old lady comes and gives her lima beans to eat. When she returns to normal Camilla decides that she doesn't care what anyone thinks and eats all the lima beans she wants.

The cover design really sets this book off. The colorful stripes and big words attract children to read this story. The author gives a unique story to help children understand that different is not bad. The characters are very stereotypical in a funny way. For example when talking with the doctors, "Then the specialist went to work on Camilla. They squeezed and jabbed, tapped and tested." The detail and description in this story is excellent and the illustrations along with the character development go together to make a hilarious yet "deep" story plot.

This book is written for transitional and fluent readers, but children of all ages would enjoy this story. This story could be used when discussing differences and doing what is right. Teachers could use it when working on writing with detail.

Rating:
Summary: fine for the easily frightened
Review: I have a four year old daughter who is easily frightened (we can't read Goldilocks and the Three Bears in our house), but she is more than okay with this book. In fact, it is one of her favorites. Some have complained that the artwork is creepy and disturbing. But I think it is different and attention grabbing. David Shannon is a talented artist and his story about nonconformity definitely gets the point across. This is not the same old book all over again. It is fresh and interesting and both my children love it.

Rating:
Summary: A Bad Case of Stripes
Review: The grown-ups at our house love this book as much as the kids do. The concept (see editorial reviews) is funny enough, add the great illistrations and you just can't beat it. Plus the cure for the stripes is to stop following the crowd and be yourself. Perfect book for lower elementary age, with appeal for all ages.

Rating:
Summary: I haven't met a kid who doesn't love this book
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite children's books. I used to work at a preschool, and it was a huge hit with the 3 to 6 year-olds (though older children will enjoy it too). The kids would actually cheer when I brought out this book at story time. Though the main character is a girl, the book has just as much appeal for boys.

The message is simple and timeless: Be true to yourself. But what sets this book apart from countless others with the same theme is the wit and wordplay of the text, and the colorfully surreal illustrations. Kids don't glance at the pictures in here -- they look and look, and ask you to turn back the page so they can look some more.

You'll enjoy reading this one out loud. And if it becomes a favorite, you won't mind reading it again and again.

Rating:
Summary: A modern classic!
Review: Well, I was cruising through the library stacks, looking for the author of "No, David!" (another outstanding book) when I came across this piece of magic. The illustrations are works of art, the writing is tight and lyrical, the dialogue is beyond what you would expect to find in writing for "mere children." Cross "Madeline" with Roald Dahl and you've got an idea of what you're in store for!

The story, if you haven't gleaned it from other reviews, is that Camilla has decided to be untrue to herself by denying herself her one great love in life - lima beans by the steaming plateful. As a result of the obvious internal angst over her leguminous desire and her need to do what she perceives as cool, her body rebels and does the most uncool thing of all - it covers itself in a rainbow of stripes. Things get worse when Camilla is allowed by the family doctor to go to school - the stripes start shifting colors and shapes at the whim of the other students. Eventually, she is forced to stay home, thanks to the voiced concerns of frightened parents. The final showdown comes as pandemonium erupts when the local television stations discover this oddity in their town.

This book will charm children of all ages - my ten-year-old couldn't believe what she was hearing from her sister's bedroom as I read it aloud before bedtime. Grab this book and embrace it as the treasure it is.