Billy's Booger Storybook

Gr 1–4—With characteristic panache, Joyce employs seamless animation, spot-on narration, and zany sound effects to draw readers into the digital version of his picture book memoir, Billy's Booger (Atheneum, 2015).Beginning with an introduction from the young boy's alien-looking lump of mucus, the author provides readers a clear sense of the story-within-a-story frame. "This is Billy. This is me. Billy was having a little trouble at school," drawing on everything, until "…he made a book. About me!" Astute viewers will find the find the small green character reminiscent of others found in Joyce's The Leaf Men (1996), and may spot additional references to the author's other titles, including George Shrinks (2003) and Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo (1995, all HarperCollins).Billy is "a reality-challenged fourth grader," who drives his teachers and principal crazy with outlandish ideas like "math skills with pancakes" and "replacing the hallway floors with trampolines." When the school librarian announces that there is going to be a writing contest, the boy sets to work creating his own masterpiece: Billy's Booger: The Memoir of a Little Green Nose Buddy.Joyce reads the story with a droll newscaster voice, punctuated with exaggerated, silly voices and sound effects for everything from fighting dinosaurs to UFOs. There is no interactivity, but its absence allows readers to focus on the story as it unfolds through the blend of illustrations, animations, and the lively narration; together they create a rich reading and listening experience for users. Joyce's illustrations are full of details, and many of these are animated with a subtle touch. Although Billy's Booger doesn't have the interactive splash of Moonbot's The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, it stands out for its marvelous narration and fine-tuned animation.—Mary Ann Scheuer, Berkeley Unified School District and Great Kid Books