*****= An all-time favorite
**** = Outstanding
*** = Above
average
** =
Enjoyable
*
= Good, with reservations
**Rover Saves Christmas
by Roddy Doyle
with pictures by Brian Ajhar
Reviewed December 15, 2001.
Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, 2001.
160 pages.
This is an extremely silly book. In other words, my 7-year-old
loved it.
He had to spend four hours at the library the other day. This
time, he didn’t complain a bit, since he spent the first two hours reading
this book and chuckling over it. Even worse, every time I walked into
my office he had to tell me about the funny thing he’d just read on the
current page.
I admit, I did find it amusing, although I was glad it was short.
This book is mainly targeted for anyone who loves the Captain Underpants
series. I think that gives you the idea--a little rude, with ridiculous
situations and little games with the reader, like commercial breaks and
alternate endings. I’d estimate its target is about 1st through 4th
grades. Older people with a healthy sense of silliness left will
be compelled to smile.
This book was a sequel to The Giggler Treatment, which we bought
(and my son loved) in Ireland. The Giggler Treatment is when creatures
called Gigglers put dog poo where grown-ups who have been unkind to children
will step in it. Then they giggle. In Rover Saves Christmas,
Rudolph goes on strike, so Rover (who supplies the dog poo for the Gigglers)
must take his place. Silliness ensues.
Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund
