FICTION

Flat Stanley: Show-and-Tell, Flat Stanley!

Flat Stanley: Show-and-Tell, Flat Stanley! illus. by Macky Pamintuan. 32p. (I Can Read). HarperCollins/Harper. 2014. Tr $3.99. ISBN 9780062189752. LC 2013956397.
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K-Gr 2—This early reader continues the adventures of a character originally created by Jeff Brown. Stanley Lambchop was "flat ever since a bulletin board fell on him." His younger brother convinces the reluctant boy to be part of their school's show-and-tell, as Stanley's wiggling ears (not his flatness) are seen as an entertaining novelty. A comedy of errors ensues involving other students' show-and-tell highlights: Sophie's Squeakers the Mouse, Manny's grandpa's false teeth, and Miss Plum's new engagement ring disappear quickly within the building walls, but Stanley rescues them because of his flattened abilities as he goes in and out of cracks "like a boy-sized strip of taffy." Quick action in an easy-to-read format, frequent dialogue for developing readers, generous white space, and cartoon images come together as brother supports brother in a school adventure. A general purchase for Flat Stanley fans.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX
[=Written by]Flat Stanley agrees to let his brother bring him for show-and-tell--because Stanley's good at wiggling his ears. As in the previous books, Stanley's lack of depth saves the day. Accompanied by pedestrian illustrations, the story has a whiff of tension and an accessible text. There's an alluded-to "real reason Stanley was going to Show-and-Tell," but it's not clarified.

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