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Izzy the Very Bad Burglar

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Izzy comes from a family of excellent burglars. But every time Izzy takes something that doesn’t belong to her, she gets a bad feeling in her stomach that won’t go away. She tries to tell her parents about the bad feeling, but whenever she mentions it, they tell her she needs to be a good burglar.

Izzy finds ways to make the funny feeling in her stomach subside. She and her friend, Frog, start by tidying up as they burgle. They make the beds, dust, wash the dishes, and do the laundry. When the people come home, some of their things will be gone . . . but at least they won’t have any chores to do.

But that isn’t quite enough. So Izzy also starts baking her special double chocolate brownies with gooey caramel chunks. When the people realize they’ve been burgled, at least they will have a nice, tidy house with no chores to do and something sweet to eat.

But that isn’t quite enough either. Will Izzy ever find a way to get rid of this funny feeling she gets every time she has to steal? Will she find a way to be a good burglar and a good person, too? Readers will fall in love with this little troublemaker with a very big heart.

A sweet picture book with an important message about doing what's right and not giving in to peer pressure for children ages 3 to 6.

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2016

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Amy Proud

5 books1 follower

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5 stars
16 (34%)
4 stars
17 (36%)
3 stars
6 (12%)
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5 (10%)
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3 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Celia Buell (semi hiatus).
632 reviews32 followers
July 2, 2020
This was a silly children's story and was written very well. I read it with kids over Zoom, and they enjoyed it, although they kept saying "maybe she shouldn't steal things in the first place."

I agree, and in some ways, the morals of this story are a little unclear. By the end of the book, Izzy has done many good things, but she gets a pardon for stealing and permission to keep doing so. I feel like this can give kids the wrong message.

Izzy was raised in a family of burglars, but she gets an uncomfortable feeling whenever she steals. She comes up with a plan to make herself feel better, but in the end, I feel like the writer makes some odd choices concerning her behavior, and I am curious to know why. This is not a book I can see myself purchasing for a future classroom unless I want to have a discussion with kids about morals and mixed messages in literature and life.
Profile Image for Storywraps.
1,968 reviews40 followers
May 14, 2016
Izzy is a delightful little character that will steal your heart. You see she was born into a family of top notch burglars so therefore she is expected to burgle too. The only problem is... Izzy has a conscience and feels so sorry for the people she embezzles.

"But every time Izzy took something that didn't belong to her, she got a bad feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away."

Her parents wait outside the targeted house with the getaway car while Izzy performs the dastardly deeds. Afterwards she feels terrible about taking things that don't rightly belong to her. When she tries to explain to her parents about her feelings they tell her she needs to be a good burglar, which causes her even more guilt. Oh my!

Izzy and her adorable partner in crime, her pet frog, unmask the dilemma in a very smart and honourable way. They start doing kind deeds for their victims such as making their beds, baking her special double-chocolate brownies with gooey caramel chunks, washing up the dishes, doing laundry, and even sprucing up their gardens, just to point out a few.

"At least they will have a nice, tidy house with no chores to do and something sweet to eat."

Her rational seems sound and helpful but is short-lived. That strategy soon disappears and Izzy starts feeling remorse once again. She must discover a way to be a burglar extraordinaire AND a good person too. Can she do it? What possible solution could she come up with to reach that goal?

This sweet, heartwarming picture book sends a very important message to its readers. It shares about doing the right thing and not giving into peer pressure, even if it is your own family. This message is perfect with the 3-6 age group implanting in them a sense of what is right and what is wrong. It is a perfect book for both parents and teachers to introduce a moral discussion. You can talk about: Are burglars bad people? Was Izzy being bad? Why is Izzy different from other fellow burglars? Have you ever had that feeling like Izzy did in your tummy when you did something bad or unkind?

I am positive you will enjoy the book from start to finish. The illustrations are expressive, cartoonish and very kid-friendly. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Sirah.
3,432 reviews29 followers
August 14, 2022
Izzy came from a long line of burglars, but whenever she tried to burgle a house, she would get a bad feeling in her tummy, so she tried to do kind things to make up for it. But no matter how much she did, she still felt bad for taking people's things. Meanwhile, her parents grow impatient in the getaway car... If Izzy can't think of a way to stop her tummyaches, she might get arrested or disappoint her parents!

This book has a silly premise but a good heart. The ending made me smile.
4 reviews
February 27, 2020
A kleptomaniac kid tries to cure her wretched conscience through acts of love. Izzy is a little girl, seemingly forced into robbing people by her parents. Can she appease both the law and her burglar ancestors? A convoluted concept with mixed messages…but cute pictures. See www.storytimesurvival.com for more detail.
Profile Image for Pamela.
21 reviews1 follower
July 13, 2020
I hoped for a better ending.

Izzy continuing to burgle was not the ending I was hoping for. What lesson does that teach littles ones? To keep doing whatever is wrong as long as you do something good as well???
Profile Image for Rayna Wise.
8 reviews1 follower
December 24, 2020
Cute book!

This book is about a little girl whi comes from a family of burglars. It is a very cute book.
Profile Image for Sarah Jean.
916 reviews26 followers
June 28, 2024
This is an adorable, silly children’s book.
Profile Image for Connie Gruning.
30 reviews12 followers
June 30, 2016
This is a story about Izzy a little girl; a little burglar. Not just a little burglar but one that comes from a long line of family burglars! Exceptional burglars at that! From Granny who was a very famous cat burglar to her baby cousin a notorious bank robber. Everyone in the family is a burglar! They are all very good at their jobs too! Izzy is expected to follow in the family business and she tries. She really does try, but each time she steals something she gets a bad feeling in her stomach.  When she tries to explain this to her parents they 'scowl and grind their teeth and tell her she must be a good burglar'.

Izzy then tries different things to make that bad feeling in her stomach go away. Like doing something nice for the family that she burgled. All the way to cleaning their house! Or baking delicious goodies!  AND more!!  A burglar that does good deeds. Like cleaning?! And baking?! Eventually, everyone on the block wants Izzy to burgle their house! It's cute, book with an awesome twist.
What an awesome way to teach right from wrong. A way to teach kids just because others are doing bad things, even family, doesn't mean you have too.  Teaching right from wrong. And a good way to talk to kids about making good decisions.
The illustrations are absolutely adorable they are fun and entertaining!!  We seem to find something new to giggle at with every single reading. The illustrations are just nothing short of PERFECT!!
I can’t imagine ever whining about a book that the 5 year old and I can share. But, one that teaches an important lesson? One that makes her laugh while she is learning? One that makes her say “Read it again” over and over??? That is 100% a keeper!! Izzy The Very Bad Burglar is 100% a keeper!!
I received a free or greatly discounted product for the purpose of this review. The opinions are 100% mine. I have not been influenced in any way. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe in.
Profile Image for Kid Lit Reviews.
376 reviews64 followers
July 14, 2016
The Story
Izzy comes from a long line of excellent criminals, including Granny (legendary cat burglar), uncle (world-renowned pickpocket), and baby cousin (infamous bank robber). Izzy is not excellent, nor will she become legendary. Every time she burglarizes a house, Izzy feels funny in her stomach. Izzy tries to tell her parents, but they are not happy with Izzy’s feelings, funny or not . . .

Review
Izzy the Very Bad Burglar will speak to anyone who has ever taken change from mom’s purse, cheated on a test at school, or took the last bite of cake when no one was looking. All those “funny feelings” Izzy has is her conscience speaking to her, telling her what she did was bad. Making up for the stealing by giving back—and taking her victim’s mind off their loss—can only last a short time. Izzy’s stomach knows this, even if Izzy does not . . .

Originally Published at Kid Lit Reviews.
To Read the Full Review and View Interior Art, Go To: http://bit.ly/IzzyVeryBadBurglar

Profile Image for Casandria.
2,877 reviews4 followers
June 7, 2016
The premise is rather ridiculous: Izzy and her friend, Frog, are forced to burgle homes because her family has always done this. But Izzy and Frog feel terrible about it. They find ways to help out the families they burgle at the same time, although they still feel guilty. The end provided a very cute and clever solution to the problem.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews