Straight to the Pole

by Kevin O'Malley

Who will win the battle of boy against blizzard? Freezing wind.

Bone-chilling ice.

Knee-deep snow drifts. A lone figure battles for every step in a terrible storm, determined to reach the distant Pole. Nothing will stop him from reaching his goal―except his own overactive imagination.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Storytime, Christmas, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.

Kevin O'Malley is the co-author and illustrator of the popular Miss Malarkey series as well as the award-winning Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and the national bestseller Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
He also has visited hundreds and hundreds of schools.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very humorous book about a boy's dramatic and dangerous journey to the pole (the bus stop pole, that is.) It's a fun book to read on a cold, snowy day and the ending is ironic and cute. The illustrations are very adorable and help show that the drama of the narrative is not being met by reality. Our girls really enjoyed this book, especially the "wolf."

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true example of a picture book that tells a great story with very minimal text - perfect for a beginning reader. I also really loved how imagination is celebrated as the boy makes his way through the perils of an imaginary blizzard.

[Alyson Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about a boy walking through a blizzard. The boy is struggling, almost to the point of death to get to his destination. At this point, the readers believe he is lost in the middle of nowhere trying to get home, until a dog shows up. The dog pounces on the boy, licking him to no end. The boy then sees his friends off in the distance. They come up to him and tell him school is cancelled. Turns out, the boy was just walking to the bus stop. I thought this book was funny and clever. It would be a good book to read to my special education classroom because it is simple, yet has a deeper concept they would need to grasp.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Frozen and alone. Pressing on through the snow.”

The storm grows worse and his boots have filled up with snow and ice ... Can’t ... go ... on. Then, in the distance, a wolf. Is it going to eat him? “Woof!” Who will save this frozen, lost soul? Thankfully, in the distance, people approach.

A dramatic walk to school on a snowy day turns into a rescue as his friends inform him that the school has declared a snow day.

Fun! Wonderful example of hyperbole.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. At first, the author had me thinking that I was reading another children's book with unnecessary unrealistic ideas. However, this was the author's setup. He got me! Great art as well.

[Vanessa Becerra]

The boy was on his way to the bus stop on a snowy day. He was pretending to be climbing a mountain with the words he would use. He was just going up the hill. When he was almost there he sees kids coming his way to tell him that school got cancelled.

[Miss Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young boy on his way to school using his imagination for how bad the snow is. When he finally reaches the bus stop he discovers school is canceled. Then his perspective changes and he goes and plays in the snow with his friends.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the simplicity and meta nature of the story (illustrations disagree with the text), and the kids enjoyed but didn’t love.

[Nancy Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can feel the cold throughout the blue shades of illustrations as a young boy struggles to reach his destination. The reader is not sure if he is really going to the Pole. His friends come to the rescue with great news.

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book to my 3 month old as a 25 days of Christmas reading tradition.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horn Book (Spring 2004)

Pushing on alone through a raging blizzard, barely able to stand, a boy struggles to reach the pole--the signpost for the school bus stop. There, his friends greet him with the joyful news that school has been canceled. This delightful tale's hyperbole is heightened by lively watercolor and pen illustrations of swirling snow and indistinct shapes.



Kirkus Reviews (October 1, 2003)

A muffled figure leans into the wind, struggling through drifts and swirls of snow, falling forward to crawl on hands and knees to reach The Pole at last . . . no, not that sort of Pole: the kind with a sign on top. And what does that sign read? O'Malley keeps mum until two friends come out of the mists to the rescue, with news that school's been cancelled. In the last picture, an abandoned backpack rests beneath a "Bus Stop." A short but suitably melodramatic text-"Can't go on. CAN'T . . . GO . . . on. (I told Mom this would happen)"-accompanies this epic journey, captured in a succession of rolling, full-bleed, zero-visibility scenes. Never has the daily venture to school been so fraught-if only in the venturer's mind-than in this natural companion for Patricia Lakin's hilarious Snow Day (2002), which puts a very different twist on a similar scenario. (Picture book. 6-8)



Publishers Weekly (December 18, 2006)

In PW's words, "Young fans of irony-fortified humor will get a hoot out of O'Malley's snowy spoof." Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.



Publishers Weekly (November 3, 2003)

Young fans of irony-fortified humor will get a hoot out of O'Malley's snowy spoof. In a blinding blizzard-an evocative, icy watercolor swirl of purple, gray and green splattered with white blobs-the outerwear-swaddled hero bravely trudges through full-bleed spreads blanketed in knee-high drifts. "Must go on," he tells himself, eyes blazing while the rest of his face is sheathed by a scarf, but soon the resolve of this latter-day Shackleton fails. "Can't go on..." he says (for added drama, a word balloon contains the poignantly succinct plea, "Remember me") and collapses in the snow. And then, "Oh no... A Wolf!"-could this be the end of the intrepid hero? Readers will have already guessed that the answer is no (the illustration clearly depicts a friendly, floppy-eared hound). The boy finally lets his melodramatic mien slip, giggling at the animal's wet greeting, while earlier clues-a partially covered hydrant, tasseled hat and brightly colored backpack, plus a word balloon that reads "I told Mom this would happen"-make it comically clear that the stakes may not be as high as the narrator indicates. Finally, the "pole" in question is neither North or South, as O'Malley reveals in the punch line (after the boy is rescued by sled-toting friends bearing the good news that it's a snow day). Guaranteed to elicit giggles from any kid who has worn a snowsuit, this book should inspire new heights of ham. Age 4-7. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.



School Library Journal (November 1, 2003)

PreS-Gr 3-Snuggly bundled from head to toe and carrying an oversized backpack, a young traveler sets out across a frozen landscape. The child bravely pushes on through swirling snowflakes, slipping and sliding through the knee-deep drifts, and finally falls to the ground with a theatrical, "Can't go on." When a floppy-eared dog appears on the horizon, the youngster calls it a wolf and thinks, "I'm doomed. Lost and alone-." After the beast is put at bay with a pat and a hug, two rescuers appear to announce that "school has been closed for the day!" The last page shows the backpack left leaning against the pole mentioned in the title, which holds up the sign for the bus stop. O'Malley maintains a humorous melodramatic tone throughout the brief text, but the real story is in his textured watercolors, which are presented on eye-catching spreads. Attention remains tightly focused on the brightly clothed main character, while the backgrounds glow with dense purples and grays. The blizzardlike conditions and lack of visibility make the protagonist's game of pretend all the more believable. Dialogue balloons containing quips such as "I told Mom this would happen" add to the fun. The short text, simple language, and large print will encourage beginning readers, while the read-aloud crowd will be attracted to the vivid artwork and amusing situation.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin O'Malley is a very interesting author. He does things differently than other authors. This story is about a boy who is 'trekking' through a snow storm but then to realize that school is cancelled. I think it's wonderful because children will be able to imagine this grand adventure and then realize that he was just walking to the bus stop. I think that children's imaginations work like this as well.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny story about a boy who is in the middle of a snow storm, and all the emotions and thoughts running through his head. I could see educators using this book as an example for a writing assignment on a situation with a surprise ending, and all the descriptive goodness they can use to paint a scene for the reader.

[Sara Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simple story that younger kids will love. Nice idea of a boy struggling to the North Pole, but of course, we know he's not really going there. The adventure aspect was good, but there just wasn't a lot of story. It left a lot to the imagination, and young kids might struggle to keep up without prompting and leading from a parent.

[Jussay · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter did not like this one when I read it aloud - and to tell the truth, neither did I - but I did enjoy it when I read it to myself. I do think that non-readers could, due to their younger age, enjoy it.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another that has fairly simple text, but I'm not sure my day care class fully got it. Maybe I'll try it with a Kindergarten class tomorrow. 1/27/15

Over the head of my young story time group...

[Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of this book made me laugh out loud. With the title and the whole grueling journey through the snow, I was totally expecting it to be like a trip to the North Pole to surprise Santa before Christmas. What a delightful, hilarious twist.

[Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freezing wind,
Bone-chilling ice,
Knee-deep snowdrifts.

A lone figure battles for every step in a terrible storm, determined to reach the distant Pole. Nothing will stop him from reaching his goal- except his own overactive imagination.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy struggles through the bitter cold and piercing wind of a snow storm to reach.... the bus stop. Oddly enough, when he learns that school is cancelled for the day, the weather turns from a nuisance into a winter wonderland.

Fun illustrations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin O'Malley totally appeals to Maddie's sense of humor. His inscription to her is pretty spectacular.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young boy's exaggerated trek through the snow to the bus stop, only to find out that school is closed.

[Claire Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple story that encourages children to use their imagination, this book follows a boy battling a blizzard. Or maybe just trying to find the bus stop on a snowy day.

[Rusty Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a fun twist with a bang.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

- A good first or second grade storytime book.

[Shawna]

This book will certainly not be on a shelf of a "must read." I don't think that it contains very good text. It also lacks a proper story line. This text is for a lower level reader.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for a winter themed storytime!

Kindergarten

[shadesofwords · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and fun story for toddlers! Makes a great bed time story!