FICTION

You Must Be This Tall

by Steven WEINBERG
illus. by Steven Weinberg. 40p. S. & S./Margaret K. McElderry. Apr. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481429818.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 3—At the fair, two snakes can't wait to take a ride on the Rattler Roller Coaster. When they slither up to the entrance, Harold falls short of the height requirement. Frank comes to his pal's aid with some inventive disguises, including a trench coat built for two, horned-rim glasses, and a phony mustache, but the pot-bellied pig carnival barker shrewdly sees through their ruses and denies them admittance. Frank also tries to stretch and pull Harold taller, all no avail. Weinberg's digitally enhanced watercolor and pencil cartoon illustrations are full of energy and movement. Readers turn the pages vertically to see how Harold measures up after each kooky scheme. Disappointment isn't all the sneaky snakes swallow, and they find a way to ride the roller coaster of their dreams.
VERDICT An irreverent punch line adds surprise and a last belly laugh.
Reviewed by Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Two snakes want to ride a roller coaster, but one isn't tall enough. The friends invent plans to outsmart the pig in charge of measuring the would-be riders. The combination of choppy text and frenetic illustrations can create confusion about what is actually happening, and the shifts in orientation are jarring rather than dramatic. Still, the friends' ploys are appealingly goofy.
 , Feb 01, 2016

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