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Miss Brooks #1
Miss Brooks Loves Books
With the help of Miss Brooks, Missy's classmates all find books they love in the library--books about fairies and dogs and trains and cowboys. But Missy dismisses them all--"Too flowery, too furry, too clickety, too yippity."
Still, Miss Brooks remains undaunted. Book Week is here and Missy will find a book to love if they have to empty the entire library. What story will finally win over this beastly, er, discriminating child? William Steig's Shrek!--the tale of a repulsive green ogre in search of a revolting bride--of course!
Barbara Bottner and Michael Emberley pay playful homage to the diverse tastes of child readers and the valiant librarians who are determined to put just the right book in each child's hands.
Still, Miss Brooks remains undaunted. Book Week is here and Missy will find a book to love if they have to empty the entire library. What story will finally win over this beastly, er, discriminating child? William Steig's Shrek!--the tale of a repulsive green ogre in search of a revolting bride--of course!
Barbara Bottner and Michael Emberley pay playful homage to the diverse tastes of child readers and the valiant librarians who are determined to put just the right book in each child's hands.
32 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2006
28 people are currently reading
1225 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Bottner
59 books53 followersBarbara Bottner, New York Times best-selling author, is a screenwriter, TV writer, and writing coach, who began her multi-hyphenate career as an artist and actor. Designing off-Broadway sets in the ’60s led her to performance and following her career in theatre, she began writing and illustrating books for children. In total, she has written over 40 books in all areas of children’s literature including Young Adult, Middle Grade, chapter, and "I Can Reads". Several of her award-winning picture books have been animated and translated into multiple languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 451 reviews
January 6, 2021
I loved it so much!
This one tells the real struggles of not being a reader and being with someone who is a crazy book lover as a teacher✨
Moral of the story:
You are not a reader YET cos you haven't found the right book.
I like the fact that Miss Brook did not judge when the kid actually picked up a book that is totally different from the rest of the kids did.
The illustration is amazing!
(I will be using them as wallpapers!💯)
I love this one so much!
This one tells the real struggles of not being a reader and being with someone who is a crazy book lover as a teacher✨
Moral of the story:
You are not a reader YET cos you haven't found the right book.
I like the fact that Miss Brook did not judge when the kid actually picked up a book that is totally different from the rest of the kids did.
The illustration is amazing!
(I will be using them as wallpapers!💯)
I love this one so much!
July 16, 2010
I loved and was touched by this book about a very, very reluctant reader and an incredibly enthusiastic school librarian who uses everything from costumes to book week to make reading fun for the school children. I chuckled on almost every page; it’s a very funny book. There are too many amusing lines (in this very short book) for me to give just an example or two.
I’d have enjoyed this book even more if the book Missy finally chose to appreciate was one I liked better, and if the other books the children read, at least some of them, were among my favorites. But the books mentioned are ones children will know either because they’re so often read to young children or because of movies made from them.
The illustrations are colorful and fun, and Missy’s expressions are wonderful. Even kids who don’t like storybooks might first enjoy the pictures. And, it’s a really fun book to read aloud.
I’d have enjoyed this book even more if the book Missy finally chose to appreciate was one I liked better, and if the other books the children read, at least some of them, were among my favorites. But the books mentioned are ones children will know either because they’re so often read to young children or because of movies made from them.
The illustrations are colorful and fun, and Missy’s expressions are wonderful. Even kids who don’t like storybooks might first enjoy the pictures. And, it’s a really fun book to read aloud.
August 5, 2010
A fun book about the importance of finding the right book for the right child at the right time. A wonderful resource for librarians and teachers.
April 26, 2019
An extremely grouchy first-grader, with no interest in reading or books, Missy tolerates (just barely) her librarian's colorful reading circle, but resists any effort to convince her of the charms of story, and of the written word. "I want you to get as excited about books as I am," says Miss Brooks at one point, dressed up as the caterpillar from Eric Carle's classic picture-book,
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
. "I think Miss Brooks gets a little too excited,' is Missy's silent response. But when the dreaded Book Week, in which each student must choose a book and act it out for the other children, draws near, Missy finds herself, despite her expressed reluctance, sent home with plenty of books. Will any of them succeed in cracking her shell, or will she go on being a bibliophobe?
I enjoyed this tale of an extremely enthusiastic and committed librarian, and the young patron who poses such a challenge to her. I liked the message, delivered with no didactic display, that different stories appeal to different readers, and thought that Michael Emberley's cartoonish illustrations really captured the humor and fun of the story. Miss Brooks' costumes were all quite amusing, although the aforementioned caterpillar was probably my favorite! I also really appreciated the brief scenes involving Missy's artist mother, whose succinct responses to her daughters complaints and requests - "I've already been in the first grade," she says, when requested to do the assignment for Missy - had me chuckling.
I enjoyed this tale of an extremely enthusiastic and committed librarian, and the young patron who poses such a challenge to her. I liked the message, delivered with no didactic display, that different stories appeal to different readers, and thought that Michael Emberley's cartoonish illustrations really captured the humor and fun of the story. Miss Brooks' costumes were all quite amusing, although the aforementioned caterpillar was probably my favorite! I also really appreciated the brief scenes involving Missy's artist mother, whose succinct responses to her daughters complaints and requests - "I've already been in the first grade," she says, when requested to do the assignment for Missy - had me chuckling.
October 22, 2009
i LOVE this book! mainly because the illustrations are so awesome! i think i've read it four times since i discovered it in my Random House kit box yesterday. i kinda want to be Miss Brooks.
also i love it that the girls aren't all wearing pink and skirts: Miss Brooks is this outrageous looking Miss-Frizzle-esque crazy haired hippie in costumes, the mom's this slouchy-comfy-looking painter, and the main character is really into warts and ogres. the only thing that would make it more awesome would be a main character of color.
Edit: but what else would we expect from the fantastic illustrator of Robie H. Harris' It's Perfectly Normal, It's So Amazing, and It's Not the Stork?
also i love it that the girls aren't all wearing pink and skirts: Miss Brooks is this outrageous looking Miss-Frizzle-esque crazy haired hippie in costumes, the mom's this slouchy-comfy-looking painter, and the main character is really into warts and ogres. the only thing that would make it more awesome would be a main character of color.
Edit: but what else would we expect from the fantastic illustrator of Robie H. Harris' It's Perfectly Normal, It's So Amazing, and It's Not the Stork?
July 7, 2010
I feel like a total spoil-sport for dithering between three and four stars on this one since it seems like everyone else on the GoodReads planet absolutely loved it. I think it's a wonderful concept: a (very!) reluctant reader paired with a super-enthusiastic (to the point of dressing up in costumes of her favorite characters!) librarian who manages to find a way for the kid to see something to love in books. I think the writing just didn't really grab me and there were so many allusions to other books--which is great for those of us who have read and loved them, but I wonder if it undermines the message of the story if it is for reluctant readers who aren't familiar with all those books. Then again, maybe I am just being too picky since I had really high expectations for this one. It's still very cute and fun and I appreciate any book that celebrates librarians and encourages a love of reading!
April 7, 2010
Librarians often say that you have to find the right book for the right person at the right time. This book is a perfect illustration of that saying.
Miss Brooks is an enthusiastic librarian who just LOVES books and is in the habit of dressing up in costumes related to the books she reads aloud. And all year long Miss Brooks reads book about dragons and Pilgrims and presidents and love and leprechauns and even groundhogs! Our protagonist finds this most vexing.
However, when Book Week comes along and Miss Brooks informs the first grade that they will each need to pick a favorite story to share, Missy is truly terrified. She is quite sure she'll never love books the way Miss Brooks does. She even goes as far to ask her mother if they can move to another town. Mother tells here that unfortunately, there is one of those pesky librarians in every town.
No book seems to interest Missy, they're all too furry or kissy or pink or silly. Until her mother tells her she's as stubborn as a wart, which leads them to Shrek, a book Missy can get on board with. There are two morals to the story that I can agree with. First that snorting is always fun. More importantly perhaps, is that even ogres can find something appealing in the library.
Miss Brooks is an enthusiastic librarian who just LOVES books and is in the habit of dressing up in costumes related to the books she reads aloud. And all year long Miss Brooks reads book about dragons and Pilgrims and presidents and love and leprechauns and even groundhogs! Our protagonist finds this most vexing.
However, when Book Week comes along and Miss Brooks informs the first grade that they will each need to pick a favorite story to share, Missy is truly terrified. She is quite sure she'll never love books the way Miss Brooks does. She even goes as far to ask her mother if they can move to another town. Mother tells here that unfortunately, there is one of those pesky librarians in every town.
No book seems to interest Missy, they're all too furry or kissy or pink or silly. Until her mother tells her she's as stubborn as a wart, which leads them to Shrek, a book Missy can get on board with. There are two morals to the story that I can agree with. First that snorting is always fun. More importantly perhaps, is that even ogres can find something appealing in the library.
December 14, 2017
4 Todas somos Miss Brooks STARS
Creo que todos hemos escuchado la frase, de que “Si no te gusta leer es porque no has encontrado el libro correcto”.
Este libro trata exactamente de eso.
Una niña no se siente emocionada o interesada en la actividad que la bibliotecaria le ha pedido hacer, realizar una exposición de su libro favorito. A nuestra protagonista no le gustan ni los libros de trenes, animales felpudos o hadas. Su mamá le muestra el libro de Sherk, y ella se da cuenta, que al igual que ella, Sherk no es igual a los demás, pero aun así logra divertirse.
Un libro muy lindo, con una historia muy tierna y que les deja una gran enseñanza a los niños.
Creo que todos hemos escuchado la frase, de que “Si no te gusta leer es porque no has encontrado el libro correcto”.
Este libro trata exactamente de eso.
Una niña no se siente emocionada o interesada en la actividad que la bibliotecaria le ha pedido hacer, realizar una exposición de su libro favorito. A nuestra protagonista no le gustan ni los libros de trenes, animales felpudos o hadas. Su mamá le muestra el libro de Sherk, y ella se da cuenta, que al igual que ella, Sherk no es igual a los demás, pero aun así logra divertirse.
Un libro muy lindo, con una historia muy tierna y que les deja una gran enseñanza a los niños.
October 24, 2025
Overall a rather cute story. The main character is a bit sullen and annoyed by her teacher's love of reading. I rather loved the flamboyant and wildness of Miss Brooks as she embraces her love for reading.
June 4, 2012
This was a cute story about an elementary aged girl who insists she doesn't like books. Her librarian, Miss Brooks, tries every different way to entice her into being a book lover like she is. One day the little girls mother gives her a great idea for a type of book she would be interested in. It is all about finding the right book for the right person. The pictures in the story are very entertaining and the illustrations are able to grasp the personalities of each character very well.
An audience that this story would appeal to would be elementary aged children who love...or don't love books. Miss Brooks Loves Books!Miss Brooks Loves Books! This book is from the Golden Sower Award list.
An audience that this story would appeal to would be elementary aged children who love...or don't love books. Miss Brooks Loves Books!Miss Brooks Loves Books! This book is from the Golden Sower Award list.
October 27, 2011
Miss Brooks, who might be a wee bit crazy, loves reading books and wearing character costumes. Missy, a curmudgeonly first grader, does not love reading or books nearly as much as the ever enthusiastic Miss Brooks. At the end of the year, all of the kids have to present a book and dress up as a character. Missy refuses everything she finds, pronouncing her classmates projects, "Too flowery. Too furry. Too clickety. Too yippity." Finally, Missy discovers William Steig's Shrek and falls in love with a book.
Miss Brooks says that "even ogres (like me) can find something funny and fantastic and appalling in the library."
I love it! Recommended for K - grade 2. Librarians everywhere, especially the ones that dress up, will love this book. I also enjoyed Miss Brooks' hippy vibe. Rock on, library lady.
Miss Brooks says that "even ogres (like me) can find something funny and fantastic and appalling in the library."
I love it! Recommended for K - grade 2. Librarians everywhere, especially the ones that dress up, will love this book. I also enjoyed Miss Brooks' hippy vibe. Rock on, library lady.
September 10, 2013
SO GREAT.
I'm getting this one for my own collection.
It's not just that Miss Brooks looks just like me, either. Nor is it that I want to dress like her.
This book is about a kid discovering the library. It is about a girl who doesn't think she likes books, which challenges her librarian to find her one that will catch her attention. The diverse array of people in this book is delightful, and I enjoyed every minute. We'll see if the first graders like it as much as I do--I am, after all, their crazy Children's Librarian.
I'm getting this one for my own collection.
It's not just that Miss Brooks looks just like me, either. Nor is it that I want to dress like her.
This book is about a kid discovering the library. It is about a girl who doesn't think she likes books, which challenges her librarian to find her one that will catch her attention. The diverse array of people in this book is delightful, and I enjoyed every minute. We'll see if the first graders like it as much as I do--I am, after all, their crazy Children's Librarian.
November 2, 2025
یه کتاب کوچولو با تصویرگری عالی و موضوع درجه یک ؛
ترغیب کوچولوها به کتاب خوانی
همراه با یه حس دلنشین و گرم
کاش همه جا کتابخانه داشت کاش همه ی کتابخانه ها یه کتابدار مثل خانوم بروکس داشت😍😍
ترغیب کوچولوها به کتاب خوانی
همراه با یه حس دلنشین و گرم
کاش همه جا کتابخانه داشت کاش همه ی کتابخانه ها یه کتابدار مثل خانوم بروکس داشت😍😍
July 10, 2013
Audience: Primary
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Pre-reading Strategy:
PLAN (Predict/Locate/Add/Note) is a strategy of note-taking that helps students to summarize their reading. Using this strategy with this book, model the steps and provide example. I chose this strategy for Miss Brooks Loves Books! because I felt it would be an easy introduction to this method. The story is very straightforward, yet there is some great vocabulary, and the premise is something students can relate to (whether it's to Miss Brooks or the little girl) which may help some developing readers make predictions easier.
Step 1: Have students scan the story and make predictions from the title and any key words (for instance, librarian, reading circle, costumes, vexing, fantastic, appalling, and any others you may choose).
Step 2: You may use a graphic organizer that has a place at the top for the main idea or topic of the story. Students write a prediction about what the story will mostly be about. Two columns, or "arms," under the top prediction are for the two (or more) predictions about specific content or events students believe will be in the story. For instance, a student might write at the top, "This story will be about a girl who doesn't like books and a librarian who tries to get her to like them." The two specific predictions might be, "The librarian will try different things like dressing up in costumes to get the girl to like books" and "The girl will not like any books the librarian shows to her." Have students provide "evidence" from the story using those key words or picture clues by listing that evidence.
Step 3: Have students write a question mark, star, or asterisk next to any words or information that is unknown (because we haven't read the whole story yet).
Step 4: Students read (or listen to) the story and adjust their predictions as they go along. Show them how to add the new information from their reading to support their predictions, or cross out inaccurate information and add the content or event and supporting details.
Step 5: You may discuss with students how to use this strategy in "real world" scenarios or tasks.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Pre-reading Strategy:
PLAN (Predict/Locate/Add/Note) is a strategy of note-taking that helps students to summarize their reading. Using this strategy with this book, model the steps and provide example. I chose this strategy for Miss Brooks Loves Books! because I felt it would be an easy introduction to this method. The story is very straightforward, yet there is some great vocabulary, and the premise is something students can relate to (whether it's to Miss Brooks or the little girl) which may help some developing readers make predictions easier.
Step 1: Have students scan the story and make predictions from the title and any key words (for instance, librarian, reading circle, costumes, vexing, fantastic, appalling, and any others you may choose).
Step 2: You may use a graphic organizer that has a place at the top for the main idea or topic of the story. Students write a prediction about what the story will mostly be about. Two columns, or "arms," under the top prediction are for the two (or more) predictions about specific content or events students believe will be in the story. For instance, a student might write at the top, "This story will be about a girl who doesn't like books and a librarian who tries to get her to like them." The two specific predictions might be, "The librarian will try different things like dressing up in costumes to get the girl to like books" and "The girl will not like any books the librarian shows to her." Have students provide "evidence" from the story using those key words or picture clues by listing that evidence.
Step 3: Have students write a question mark, star, or asterisk next to any words or information that is unknown (because we haven't read the whole story yet).
Step 4: Students read (or listen to) the story and adjust their predictions as they go along. Show them how to add the new information from their reading to support their predictions, or cross out inaccurate information and add the content or event and supporting details.
Step 5: You may discuss with students how to use this strategy in "real world" scenarios or tasks.
July 9, 2013
Audience: Primary
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pre-Reading Strategy:
I would use a word wall for this book. There are five vocabulary words in the book that I would want students to understand the meaning of before I read it to the class as a whole. This would be part of their vocabulary.
I would write the words on an index card and ask students if they know the meaning of the word first and then ask what part of speech the word is. Then I would write the meaning of the word on the card and post it on the wall next to Noun, Verb, Adjective, etc.
The words I have incorporated from the book are: Appalling (adj), stubborn (adj), ogre (noun), revolt (v) and vex (v). These words will provide support for children during reading and writing activities.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pre-Reading Strategy:
I would use a word wall for this book. There are five vocabulary words in the book that I would want students to understand the meaning of before I read it to the class as a whole. This would be part of their vocabulary.
I would write the words on an index card and ask students if they know the meaning of the word first and then ask what part of speech the word is. Then I would write the meaning of the word on the card and post it on the wall next to Noun, Verb, Adjective, etc.
The words I have incorporated from the book are: Appalling (adj), stubborn (adj), ogre (noun), revolt (v) and vex (v). These words will provide support for children during reading and writing activities.
August 31, 2016
A little girl doesn’t believe there is a book in the world she could enjoy reading, but Miss Brooks, her school librarian, is determined to find one. What won me over was the fact that the narrator wasn’t into princesses or fairies or any of the other stereotypical “girly girl” things, but that her topic of choice turns out to be warts. A perfect reinforcement of the idea that the library really does have something for everyone, no matter who you are.
April 27, 2010
First of all, ginormous thank-you's to Michael Emberley for drawing such a cool, hip librarian! And thank you to Barbara Bottner for showing the truth - some kids don't fall in love with books right away, but even tough sells "can find something funny and fantastic and appalling in the library." Amen! My new fave to share with library tours!
June 2, 2012
Audience: K-2 grade students, reluctant readers, school and public librarians.
Appeal: Reluctant readers can identify with the main character about not liking to read. Librarians can use this as an example on how to help a student/patron find a book that fits them.
(Golden Sower Nominee 2012-2013)
Appeal: Reluctant readers can identify with the main character about not liking to read. Librarians can use this as an example on how to help a student/patron find a book that fits them.
(Golden Sower Nominee 2012-2013)
March 12, 2010
The perfect book is out there. You just have to keep looking. Wonderful characters and fun illustrations.
March 25, 2010
Children's librarians always know...there's a book for everyone!
January 15, 2015
I recommend this book be read to those children who believe they do not enjoy reading. The story does a nice job of illustrating how it is possible to find the right book.
March 13, 2016
This is hilarious, and hits a little too close to home as a teacher.
May 28, 2015
Booklist March 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 13)
Preschool-Grade 2. A scowling first-grader in spectacles, a knitted hat, and overalls cannot stand her bubbly librarian, who dresses up in costumes for reading circle, where she introduces books about dragons, Pilgrims, presidents, and Groundhogs, even! For Book Week, everyone in class has to bring a favorite story, and the young girl has only grouchy comebacks for the other kids, who enthusiastically share books about trains (too clickety), fairies (too flowery), cowboys (too yuppity), and dogs (too furry). When the librarian sends the little rebel home with a bagful of books, she does not like any of them––until she finds a story about a stubborn, smelly, snorty ogre with warts, William Steig’s Shrek, and that makes her grab more books about ogres, just like her. The cartoon-style illustrations extend the comedy in images of the expressive girl and her librarian, who dresses in wild miniskirts, boots, and flowers and is far from the usual stereotype. Lots of fun for avid and reluctant readers alike.
Horn Book Guide starred Fall 2010
A first grader finds her school librarian's passion for books "vexing," to say the least. She also dismisses her classmates' book choices: "Too flowery"; "Too clickety." But when her mother brings out Shrek! she finally meets a book she can love. In Emberley's ebullient pencil and watercolor pictures, the little girl's stubbornness is reflected in her wearing the same outfit day after day.
Horn Book Magazine May/June, 2010
A first grader finds her school librarian's passion for books "vexing," to say the least. The free-spirited Miss Brooks communicates her love for books by dressing up in costumes ranging from a Wild Thing to Abe Lincoln, but while the rest of the class participates enthusiastically, the little girl remains unmoved. She also dismisses her classmates' book choices: "Too flowery"; "Too clickety." But when her mother brings out a book about an ogre with warts -- William Steig's Shrek! -- she finally meets a book she can love. In Emberley's ebullient pencil and watercolor pictures, Miss Brooks's engaging personality shines through in her colorful clothes and her wild hair, while the little girl's stubbornness is reflected in her wearing the same outfit day after day. This celebration of books and the need for kids to find the right book will make a great story to read during Children's Book Week -- and every week.
Kirkus Reviews February 15, 2010
Guaranteed to be warmly welcomed by librarians everywhere, this paean to the joys of reading will find an enthusiastic audience among kids and parents as well. The first-grade narrator is clearly an iconoclast--and a curmudgeon. She wears the same scruffy overalls and striped hat (pulled down to her eyes) throughout, turns away from reading circle to pursue her own interests and doesn't even bother with a Halloween costume. She looks askance at Miss Brooks, the tall, lanky (and, in her opinion, overenthusiastic) librarian who dresses up for storytime and urges her listeners to share their favorites with the group. After the narrator rejects her classmates' picks, Miss Brooks sends yet another pile home, with similar results. When her remarkably patient mother opines that she is "as stubborn as a wart," however, a seed is planted. A book with warts (Shrek) is found, loved and shared with great success. Bottner's deadpan delivery is hilarious, while Emberley's exaggerated illustrations, executed in watercolor and pencil by way of computer, bring her charmingly quirky characters perfectly to life. In a word: lovable. (Picture book. 5-8)
Library Media Connection May/June 2010
Miss Brooks, the librarian, goes all out to help Missy find a book she loves in this lighthearted picture book. First-grader Missy simply does not share her librarian?s enthusiasm for books. Missy has to find a book, wear a costume, and tell her classmates why she loves a particular book. Miss Brooks fills Missy?s bag with books to read at home; she decides she wants a story about warts and in that pile of books, Missy and her mother discover Shrek by William Steig. Missy has found HER book! What librarian has not met a student who is difficult to reach? Perseverance pays off and another reader is born. In addition to Shrek, Bottner and Emberley provide a tip of the hat to several other classic books. Emberley?s brightly-colored watercolor and ink illustrations recall the work of Quentin Blake. Librarians everywhere will relate to and appreciate this attractively illustrated tale; students will enjoy Missy?s tale and perhaps a whole new group of readers will discover that Shrek is more than an animated movie. Recommended. Laura D?Amato, Library Media Specialist, Parma (Ohio) City School District
Publishers Weekly February 8, 2010
Book Week is looming, and the young narrator of this biblio comedy couldn't be less enthusiastic-every book in the library strikes her as mild-mannered mush. Her opinion of the titular librarian is even less charitable: a hippie dippie-looking literary cheerleader, Miss Brooks has no compunction about donning ridiculous costumes (including a hilarious Very Hungry Caterpillar) to whip kids into a reading frenzy. "I'll never love a book the way you do," the girl tells Miss Brooks. But that's before she discovers a modern classic that tickles her gothic tastes-Shrek-confirming Miss Brooks's belief that everyone "can find something funny and fantastic and appalling in the library." The heroine makes an indelible presence: Bottner (Raymond and Nelda) endows her with a voice that drips weltschmerz and recalls a younger version of MTV's deadpan Daria Morgendorffer. Emberley's (Mail Harry to the Moon!) slice-of-life cartooning is funny, empathetic, and of-the-moment. This story should persuade hard-to-please children that the perfect book for them is out there. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal February 1, 2010
PreS-Gr 2-All children need a librarian like Miss Brooks. Her love for reading flows from every fiber of her lanky, quirky self. When not happily immersed in one of the colorful choices from the mountains of books surrounding her, she is dressed as Babar, a Chinese dragon, or a groundhog-her puppet-clad arm popping through a hole on the page. She shares stories with a diverse group of young people, and all are captivated-except for one. This first-grade narrator believes Miss Brooks is a little too enthusiastic-to the point of being "vexing." During Book Week's student presentations, the overall-clad girl with large, round spectacles and a woolen beanie finds the other kids' books "too flowery. Too furry. Too clickety. Too yippity." When her mother observes that she is as "stubborn as a wart," interest is aroused, Shrek is discovered in the pile supplied by the librarian, and the transformation begins. An ogre costume and stick-on warts for the whole class complete the conversion to bibliophile. Children will delight in Emberley's spirited watercolor and ink renderings of literary favorites from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to a Wild Thing. Bottner's deadpan humor and delicious prose combine with Emberley's droll caricatures to create a story sure to please those who celebrate books-and one that may give pause to those who don't (or who work with the latter).-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
Preschool-Grade 2. A scowling first-grader in spectacles, a knitted hat, and overalls cannot stand her bubbly librarian, who dresses up in costumes for reading circle, where she introduces books about dragons, Pilgrims, presidents, and Groundhogs, even! For Book Week, everyone in class has to bring a favorite story, and the young girl has only grouchy comebacks for the other kids, who enthusiastically share books about trains (too clickety), fairies (too flowery), cowboys (too yuppity), and dogs (too furry). When the librarian sends the little rebel home with a bagful of books, she does not like any of them––until she finds a story about a stubborn, smelly, snorty ogre with warts, William Steig’s Shrek, and that makes her grab more books about ogres, just like her. The cartoon-style illustrations extend the comedy in images of the expressive girl and her librarian, who dresses in wild miniskirts, boots, and flowers and is far from the usual stereotype. Lots of fun for avid and reluctant readers alike.
Horn Book Guide starred Fall 2010
A first grader finds her school librarian's passion for books "vexing," to say the least. She also dismisses her classmates' book choices: "Too flowery"; "Too clickety." But when her mother brings out Shrek! she finally meets a book she can love. In Emberley's ebullient pencil and watercolor pictures, the little girl's stubbornness is reflected in her wearing the same outfit day after day.
Horn Book Magazine May/June, 2010
A first grader finds her school librarian's passion for books "vexing," to say the least. The free-spirited Miss Brooks communicates her love for books by dressing up in costumes ranging from a Wild Thing to Abe Lincoln, but while the rest of the class participates enthusiastically, the little girl remains unmoved. She also dismisses her classmates' book choices: "Too flowery"; "Too clickety." But when her mother brings out a book about an ogre with warts -- William Steig's Shrek! -- she finally meets a book she can love. In Emberley's ebullient pencil and watercolor pictures, Miss Brooks's engaging personality shines through in her colorful clothes and her wild hair, while the little girl's stubbornness is reflected in her wearing the same outfit day after day. This celebration of books and the need for kids to find the right book will make a great story to read during Children's Book Week -- and every week.
Kirkus Reviews February 15, 2010
Guaranteed to be warmly welcomed by librarians everywhere, this paean to the joys of reading will find an enthusiastic audience among kids and parents as well. The first-grade narrator is clearly an iconoclast--and a curmudgeon. She wears the same scruffy overalls and striped hat (pulled down to her eyes) throughout, turns away from reading circle to pursue her own interests and doesn't even bother with a Halloween costume. She looks askance at Miss Brooks, the tall, lanky (and, in her opinion, overenthusiastic) librarian who dresses up for storytime and urges her listeners to share their favorites with the group. After the narrator rejects her classmates' picks, Miss Brooks sends yet another pile home, with similar results. When her remarkably patient mother opines that she is "as stubborn as a wart," however, a seed is planted. A book with warts (Shrek) is found, loved and shared with great success. Bottner's deadpan delivery is hilarious, while Emberley's exaggerated illustrations, executed in watercolor and pencil by way of computer, bring her charmingly quirky characters perfectly to life. In a word: lovable. (Picture book. 5-8)
Library Media Connection May/June 2010
Miss Brooks, the librarian, goes all out to help Missy find a book she loves in this lighthearted picture book. First-grader Missy simply does not share her librarian?s enthusiasm for books. Missy has to find a book, wear a costume, and tell her classmates why she loves a particular book. Miss Brooks fills Missy?s bag with books to read at home; she decides she wants a story about warts and in that pile of books, Missy and her mother discover Shrek by William Steig. Missy has found HER book! What librarian has not met a student who is difficult to reach? Perseverance pays off and another reader is born. In addition to Shrek, Bottner and Emberley provide a tip of the hat to several other classic books. Emberley?s brightly-colored watercolor and ink illustrations recall the work of Quentin Blake. Librarians everywhere will relate to and appreciate this attractively illustrated tale; students will enjoy Missy?s tale and perhaps a whole new group of readers will discover that Shrek is more than an animated movie. Recommended. Laura D?Amato, Library Media Specialist, Parma (Ohio) City School District
Publishers Weekly February 8, 2010
Book Week is looming, and the young narrator of this biblio comedy couldn't be less enthusiastic-every book in the library strikes her as mild-mannered mush. Her opinion of the titular librarian is even less charitable: a hippie dippie-looking literary cheerleader, Miss Brooks has no compunction about donning ridiculous costumes (including a hilarious Very Hungry Caterpillar) to whip kids into a reading frenzy. "I'll never love a book the way you do," the girl tells Miss Brooks. But that's before she discovers a modern classic that tickles her gothic tastes-Shrek-confirming Miss Brooks's belief that everyone "can find something funny and fantastic and appalling in the library." The heroine makes an indelible presence: Bottner (Raymond and Nelda) endows her with a voice that drips weltschmerz and recalls a younger version of MTV's deadpan Daria Morgendorffer. Emberley's (Mail Harry to the Moon!) slice-of-life cartooning is funny, empathetic, and of-the-moment. This story should persuade hard-to-please children that the perfect book for them is out there. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal February 1, 2010
PreS-Gr 2-All children need a librarian like Miss Brooks. Her love for reading flows from every fiber of her lanky, quirky self. When not happily immersed in one of the colorful choices from the mountains of books surrounding her, she is dressed as Babar, a Chinese dragon, or a groundhog-her puppet-clad arm popping through a hole on the page. She shares stories with a diverse group of young people, and all are captivated-except for one. This first-grade narrator believes Miss Brooks is a little too enthusiastic-to the point of being "vexing." During Book Week's student presentations, the overall-clad girl with large, round spectacles and a woolen beanie finds the other kids' books "too flowery. Too furry. Too clickety. Too yippity." When her mother observes that she is as "stubborn as a wart," interest is aroused, Shrek is discovered in the pile supplied by the librarian, and the transformation begins. An ogre costume and stick-on warts for the whole class complete the conversion to bibliophile. Children will delight in Emberley's spirited watercolor and ink renderings of literary favorites from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to a Wild Thing. Bottner's deadpan humor and delicious prose combine with Emberley's droll caricatures to create a story sure to please those who celebrate books-and one that may give pause to those who don't (or who work with the latter).-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2018
Miss Brooks puts her mad librarian skills to the test in order to find the right book for a very reluctant reader. She suggests book after book until finally Missy discovers one whose story speaks to her, and suddenly this curmudgeon-y first grader develops a love of reading.
This story builds on the idea that people who don’t like to read just haven’t found the right book, which is a modern summation of two of S.R. Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science:
2. Every reader his [or her] book.
3. Every book its reader.
It also demonstrates how books are mirrors for readers as well as writers. Readers connect most strongly with books in which they find a reflection of themselves. Missy, the pint-sized grump in functional unfeminine clothes, dismisses all proffered books until she finds one about an ogre with a wart, which depicts a character and worldview that strikes a chord with her own experience and values. While it's important to read widely, it's equally important to have books to which readers can relate as this story illustrates.
I really appreciated that when Missy asked her mother, who also has a fondness for wearing overalls, if she would do her assignment for her, her mother responded, "I've already been in the first grade." Yay! More parents need to refuse to do their children's homework for them. Here is an example of when it's a good idea to let one's child fail. Let your first grader not do a project and then suffer the consequences. It will teach them a lesson without any serious risk of negatively impacting their future.
I didn't, however, appreciate that Missy's house was a total disaster. It reinforces the stereotype that creative people (Missy's mother is a painter) are disorganized slobs. Artists don't like living in a pigsty any more than someone in another profession.
This story builds on the idea that people who don’t like to read just haven’t found the right book, which is a modern summation of two of S.R. Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science:
2. Every reader his [or her] book.
3. Every book its reader.
It also demonstrates how books are mirrors for readers as well as writers. Readers connect most strongly with books in which they find a reflection of themselves. Missy, the pint-sized grump in functional unfeminine clothes, dismisses all proffered books until she finds one about an ogre with a wart, which depicts a character and worldview that strikes a chord with her own experience and values. While it's important to read widely, it's equally important to have books to which readers can relate as this story illustrates.
I really appreciated that when Missy asked her mother, who also has a fondness for wearing overalls, if she would do her assignment for her, her mother responded, "I've already been in the first grade." Yay! More parents need to refuse to do their children's homework for them. Here is an example of when it's a good idea to let one's child fail. Let your first grader not do a project and then suffer the consequences. It will teach them a lesson without any serious risk of negatively impacting their future.
I didn't, however, appreciate that Missy's house was a total disaster. It reinforces the stereotype that creative people (Missy's mother is a painter) are disorganized slobs. Artists don't like living in a pigsty any more than someone in another profession.
April 30, 2017
First, I must say I totally identify with Miss Brooks! Missy goes to the library for story times, but never likes any of the stories Miss Brooks enthusiastically reads. During Book Week, however, everyone is expected to share a story that they like, which leaves Missy with a problem. Miss Brooks sends Missy home with a backpack stuffed with books, which she and her mother look through. It's a chance remark made by her mother that grabs Missy's interest, and leads her to finally finding a book she likes. Interestingly, while she's sharing her book with the class, there's one little boy who is off reading on his own, with his back to her, implying that, just as what interested others didn't interest her, so something she likes doesn't appeal to someone else. The message of the book is that there's a book for everyone, and that each person has his or her own interests and doesn't necessarily have to like what others like. I found Michael Emberley's illustrations appealing, especially how he drew Missy, looking a bit different from everyone else in her class. One thing bothered me, though, about the story, and that's that it was really impolite for Missy to be turning her back on Miss Brooks and her fellow classmates while they told stories, yet no one seems to have told her that. I do realize that depicting her as literally turning her back was to emphasize pictorially how she didn't like what she was hearing, but even if Missy didn't like the story, she should have at least faced the storyteller out of politeness. That's why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 4. Still, it's a story with an appealing message, so I recommend it.
May 13, 2021
Update: having now read this many times for my own children I feel like I was far too grumpy about it when I first reviewed it. It's a delightful book and my kid likes it as well. I will say that while it inspired him to pick up Shrek he was mad because apparently the warts aren't as bit a deal in Shrek as this book makes them seem. He would want me to say that.
I actually really love this book. I read it and bought it for myself as a present the summer before I became a school librarian at a school for kids with dyslexia. Not everyone is a reader, but it is inspiring to think that the best of us can sometimes inspire even non-readers to love just one story.
The book itself is enjoyable although I will freely admit reluctant readers may not gravitate to it *quite* as much as do their librarians, teachers, and parents. But the main character is well-drawn and they will respond to her, so while this might not be a favorite it will for sure be one they will *get*.
To me the star of this book isn't the over-exuberant librarian or her skeptical pupil, but it is mom, who appears to be a working artist and seems to have some sympathies for her kid's annoyance with the admittedly pushy librarian, but she does what moms do and makes her kid do her own work while happily listening to the whining and helping where and when she can (but not too much.)
Well worth the read.
I actually really love this book. I read it and bought it for myself as a present the summer before I became a school librarian at a school for kids with dyslexia. Not everyone is a reader, but it is inspiring to think that the best of us can sometimes inspire even non-readers to love just one story.
The book itself is enjoyable although I will freely admit reluctant readers may not gravitate to it *quite* as much as do their librarians, teachers, and parents. But the main character is well-drawn and they will respond to her, so while this might not be a favorite it will for sure be one they will *get*.
To me the star of this book isn't the over-exuberant librarian or her skeptical pupil, but it is mom, who appears to be a working artist and seems to have some sympathies for her kid's annoyance with the admittedly pushy librarian, but she does what moms do and makes her kid do her own work while happily listening to the whining and helping where and when she can (but not too much.)
Well worth the read.
September 14, 2017
Summary: This is a book all about reading. It is specifically about a little girl who does not like to read and is adamant she will never find a book she will enjoy. In her class, her teacher assigns a book week. All students are told to pic k a book ad then dress up as the character in the book and tell the rest of the class about it. The little girl hears all her classmates reviews yet still is uninterested. She finally hears the word warts and found her interest in the book Shrek!
Evaluation: LOVE this book!! I can personally relate to this book as I have never enjoyed reading. I have struggled finding books I enjoy and want to read and this book again, even as an adult, reminded me that there are books are out there for everyone to enjoy! I think any child capable of reading this book should read it as it helps show the importance of reading and how enjoyable it can be!
Teaching: I could use this book as a whole class interactive read aloud and discuss with students reading and the importance of it. As in the book, I could use this book to help introduce a book week. I would read with students this book and discuss it with them before sharing a book and my review of it after.
Evaluation: LOVE this book!! I can personally relate to this book as I have never enjoyed reading. I have struggled finding books I enjoy and want to read and this book again, even as an adult, reminded me that there are books are out there for everyone to enjoy! I think any child capable of reading this book should read it as it helps show the importance of reading and how enjoyable it can be!
Teaching: I could use this book as a whole class interactive read aloud and discuss with students reading and the importance of it. As in the book, I could use this book to help introduce a book week. I would read with students this book and discuss it with them before sharing a book and my review of it after.
March 22, 2010
Miss Brooks is an enthusiastic elementary school librarian who shares her love of reading by dressing up in outrageous costumes while reading aloud from her favorite books. The protagonist of this story, a little girl clad in overalls and a stocking cap is having none of it. She thinks costumes are itchy and finds the whole fervor for reading “vexing.” She’d consider moving, but her mom informs her there are librarians in every town. Then Book Week comes, and Miss Brooks assigns the whole class to wear a costume and share their favorite book. What’s a book-hating student to do? The narrator’s voice is both droll and bored, with a touch of exasperation, a perfect foil to Miss Brook’s zeal. Emberley continues the character development in his artistic portrayals. Most of the students look up in awe to their exuberant teacher, who seems to practically explode off the page. The little girl, in contrast, is usually turned away, her hat pulled low, partially obscuring her unengaged face, until she discovers Shrek by William Steig, and realizes that maybe Miss Brooks is right and that there truly is a book for everyone (and ogre).
September 23, 2010
With the help of Miss Brooks, Missy’s classmates all find books they love in the library — books about fairies & dogs & trains & cowboys. But Missy dismisses them all.
Still, Miss Brooks remains undaunted. Book Week is here and Missy will find a book to love if they have to empty the entire library. What story will finally win over this beastly, er, discriminating child? William Steig’s Shrek!—the tale of a repulsive green ogre in search of a revolting bride—of course!
Barbara Bottner & Michael Emberley pay playful homage to the diverse tastes of child readers & the valiant librarians who are determined to put just the right book in each child’s hands. (Goodreads summary)
I loved this book. Some favorite lines: Missy's Halloween poem - "Eek! A freak," and her mother's comments: "I've already been in first grade", and "You're as stubborn as a wart." Michael Emberley's illustrations were drawn with pencil, scanned, printed on watercolor paper with waterproof inks and then painted with tube watercolors. Nice shout out to William Steig. For K - 4, reclucant readers and those who
believe there is the right book for every child.
Still, Miss Brooks remains undaunted. Book Week is here and Missy will find a book to love if they have to empty the entire library. What story will finally win over this beastly, er, discriminating child? William Steig’s Shrek!—the tale of a repulsive green ogre in search of a revolting bride—of course!
Barbara Bottner & Michael Emberley pay playful homage to the diverse tastes of child readers & the valiant librarians who are determined to put just the right book in each child’s hands. (Goodreads summary)
I loved this book. Some favorite lines: Missy's Halloween poem - "Eek! A freak," and her mother's comments: "I've already been in first grade", and "You're as stubborn as a wart." Michael Emberley's illustrations were drawn with pencil, scanned, printed on watercolor paper with waterproof inks and then painted with tube watercolors. Nice shout out to William Steig. For K - 4, reclucant readers and those who
believe there is the right book for every child.
April 28, 2012
Miss Brooks is a librarian and loves books so much she dresses in outlandish character costumes and dances about trying to make her storytime kids love books as much as she does. Our main character finds all of this vexing, and isn’t attracted to any of the usual stuff: fairies or cowboys or trains or dogs. When Book Week comes along, she is assigned the task of bringing in a book to share with her class and dressing in a matching costume. She grumbles as she struggles to find something…. until she finds the book Shrek, and delights in the warty goodness.
This tale of a reluctant reader is extremely appealing as children are presented with the idea that each reader has choice, and that even less common interests have a place in the library. The grouchy character is hysterically depicted in various states of revulsion at what’s going on in her storytime circle. Miss Brooks herself is drawn with whimsy by the gallons, with flowers bursting out of her entire head of hair, air defying bow-tied braids, caveman skirts, and that’s nothing to say of her super cool groundhog, Hungry Caterpillar, and Max costumes. This book is an absolute delight that older children will respond to best.
This tale of a reluctant reader is extremely appealing as children are presented with the idea that each reader has choice, and that even less common interests have a place in the library. The grouchy character is hysterically depicted in various states of revulsion at what’s going on in her storytime circle. Miss Brooks herself is drawn with whimsy by the gallons, with flowers bursting out of her entire head of hair, air defying bow-tied braids, caveman skirts, and that’s nothing to say of her super cool groundhog, Hungry Caterpillar, and Max costumes. This book is an absolute delight that older children will respond to best.
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