Too Much Glue

by Jason Lefebvre, Zac Retz (Illustrations)

Featured in Elmer’s World of Glue Teaching Guide 2016 Montana Treasure State Award. NY State Charlotte Award list, 2015-16. Alabama Camellia Award list 2014-15, Grade 2-3 Division. Although Matty's art teacher has warned him that too much glue never dries, Matty loves glue. After all, he and his dad make oodles of glue projects at home. One day during art class, Matty finds the fullest bottles of glue, and the fun begins. With a squeeze and a plop, Matty pours a lake of glue before belly-flopping right in the middle and finds himself stuck to the desk. When Matty's dad arrives at the school, instead of being mad, he celebrates his son's creativity and calls him a work of art. With vibrant language and artwork and a wild, silly plot, Too Much Glue is sure to appeal to all children

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Art, School, Humor, Fiction, Family

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children's book that I have read to my twin boys a ton. This is a silly and fun book. My boys loves this book so much. I love the pictures in this book. I also love that the other students are trying to help Matty while the Art teacher does not know what to do. I love how Matty is so creative, and how his Dad handles the problem. I think this book helps to bring out the creative juices in kids, and it also helps parents to stop and think messy times are ok sometimes. I loved this cute fun silly messy book.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's get one thing straight. Matty is a brat and a narcissist. The book implies he's just really creative, but there's a difference between making accessories with glue-gun glue and intentionally belly-flopping onto a pile of wet glue at school, necessitating everyone else to stop what they're doing and come to your rescue.

The illustrations are great. The story is sort of funny. But I'm not loving the message. Matty faces no consequences for his actions. In fact, he's rewarded for them. (The principal comes the closest to offering some discipline, telling his parents that they should encourage him to use tape instead. But, as we see on the last page, this is only going to lead to more attention-seeking behaviour.)

I don't think I'd recommend this to messy kids. It encourages them to disregard consequences and make a nuisance of themselves. I might recommend it to tidy kids, though, who can appreciate how Matty's behaviour is not appropriate in a school setting.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are great, and at first it seems like a cute story. But I'd never choose it for a kid. For one thing, there's the image it paints of Matty's art teacher as totally incompetent, who hyperventilates while the kids in the classroom essentially run wild. Mom also doesn't know what to do, so it's Dad who saves the day. I just think some of those impressions may not be good ones to encourage.

[Judy Lindow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kids will love the book. Make it clear you're not endorsing the behavior. It will make them laugh - because really a lot of us can identify with our scientific and sensual fascination of glue (of all kinds), glue guns, goggly eyes, and tape. The big comic pictures are colorful and funny. OK for preK-kinder. My opinion.

Yep. Many to most kids love glue. Many like to make pools of it, play with it, get it all over the furniture, and themselves. It costs extra money to do this, and extra time (lots) for the teachers and janitors to clean up. If kids are lucky enough to have the funds for art materials, and and/or an art teacher and the time to do art - the 1 or 2 kids playing around distracts and annoys the other kids who want to do art. Of course there are the silent kids (5 yo and younger) that are simply learning and discovering the properties of glue and learning how to use it. Some older kids see this is a ripe opportunity to grab the class's attention and not do the work.

So yes, the fascination with glue, tape, goggly eyes is real and endearing to many kids. And sure, the parents do often share and support this fascination but usually don't provide the funds for the waste or tolerate the cleanup required at home. Lastly, what works at home with one to a few kids, supervised, does not always translate to a class where they are expected to be more self-directed and supervision is more difficult with of 21 or more students.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My class loves this book! Even though i warn them all the time about using too much glue, they always look at me like what could happen if i use too much? This book shows them why we should use a little bit of glue instead of rain puddles.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A "note-on-tummy, melted mummy, clicky bricky, clingy stringy, blucky stucky" tale for "glue boys" and the fathers who celebrate their creativity (leaving teachers and mothers to clean up the mess).

[Taylor Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-crafted story about a kid named Matty who learns the hard way that too much of something is not always a good thing. Lefebvre's strongest feature of this book is by far the illustration. The cover art gets you ready to partake in a wild and chaotic journey. Throughout the book, the illustration stays just as strong and places you alongside the characters. In addition to the illustration, the word art/font used to express sounds in the book really helps with the imagination part of children's literature. Lefebvre's curves the word "Ploop" and puts "kaboom" in big bold letters that stray across the page. When you add these two elements I think this is what makes it a great book for children's literature because it makes these words, more than just words. It gives them to action and excitement because when you have the word-art it already changes how you want to pronounce the word, and the illustration helps provide the reader with the confidence that they are perceiving the words how the author intended. Two other things that stood out to me was after each failed attempt to get Matty out of his mess, Lefebvre has a rhyme of the objects stuck on Matty that adds up. I thought this was a neat feature because it instantly took me back to when my teachers would read books to the class, and we would always get excited to say the rhyme part at the end of each page, it builds up that excitement in kids. The last is the imagery and wordplay. At one point Matty states how his dad splits the glue off of him like a ripe banana. Lefebvre puts the image of how* the dad took the glue off into the reader's mind. Alongside the literary features, I think the storyline about how Matty didn't listen to his art teacher, and as a result of that, ends up stuck in a "messy" situation, was engaging and relatable. Kids have art classes and kids don't always listen so it was a lighthearted way to get a lesson and message across that will carry a deeper meaning later in life.

[Hollie Cooper (EDUC378) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Text-to-teaching connection: After reading this story, this is not a story that I would read to my class or my children. At first it seemed like a very cute story, but the more I read, the more it seems to teach this it is ok to disobey and still not get in any trouble. There are a few lessons that can be taught here. One being that too much of anything thing can be a bad thing. Another lesson is that even the worst mistakes can be turned into something pretty. However, I still don't agree with how the book handled it. I did like the illustrations in the book.

[Zahra Yazdani · Rating 3 out of 5]

شاید سومین کتاب بهمن ماه
با خوندنش یاد اون زمانایی افتادم که چسب رازی رو میزدیم کف دستامون و دستامون رو بهم میچسبوندیم و صبر میکردیم تا چسب خشک بشه و بکنیمشون

[Ashley Oh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: Winner of PAL Award, 2016 Montana Treasure State Award
Audience: 3-7 years
Rating: 5/5
Summary: Matty and his dad are always making glue projects at home. One day at school, Matty gets himself in a mess by finding one of the fullest bottles of glue in art class.
-The author helps the reader connect with the character because as Matty gets himself into a mess, the readers can connect with that situation because there are times we get into messes. Just like how when we get in sticky situations, we ask others for help, Matty gets the help of those around him to get him out of the glue.
-The topics presented within this book are relationships within families and peer friendships and bullies. Matty’s relationship with his dad is shown through their glue projects they do together. At school, when he is put into a sticky situation, his friends try to help him get out, representing the friendships he has within his class.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matty has a thing about glue, and despite his teacher's admonitions, he creates a stick mess. But like a fly stuck in a spider's web, he cannot get out of the glue lake he creates and sinks into. Nothing seems to work since there is too much glue to dry until he and his classmates find a solution. While being somewhat amused by Matty's pranks, I felt sorry for his poor teacher as she panics, hyperventilates, and can't figure out what to do. Readers will love the last page in which the family follows the principal's suggestion to eschew glue in favor of tape, which they do, using lots of duck tape. The Photoshop illustrations have been created with brushes to bring this messy experience to life. Many young readers will enjoy Matty's hijinks since there's simply something about glue that fascinates them.

[Plethora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those of us that grew up when paste was still around followed by the orange tipped glue in the classroom would probably get a kick-out of this. Seems like now days classrooms are filled with boring glue sticks. Admit it, did you use to spread glue on your hand and let it dry to see how big of a piece you could peel off?

This book would likely cause some parents to hyperventilate at the thought of what goes on with a big ooey gooey pile of glue. They can join the teacher in the book that has to sit down and breathe into a paper bag.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly, cute, and fun.

A silly, sweet and fun story about a boy whose creative streak is strong, his parents who encourage him, the teacher who doesn't quite understand, and his classmates who help him. The illustrations are delightful and provide much of the story.

[Jesse Freedom · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book gives children the impression that women are incompetent, and a man has to save the day. It also encourages the idea of making messy and expensive art projects, and of yanking and pulling at someone who is stuck and not caring about whether they get hurt.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful tale about a little boy who can't follow the art teacher's rules and uses too much glue. A great take on encouraging creativity and messy art projects.
Recommended

[Maki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of a student I had who used everything I gave her! lol They make too much glue into an art exhibition! lol

[Lara El-Alfy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the book it is interesting and fun 😜 I love the book I did not waste my time reading it. 😁

[Patricia Lamoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love any book where the kids are themselves and grown-ups freak out only seeing the situation with their particular pair of perspective-glasses.
This book, Too Much Glue, does just that.
Just looking at the cover of this book you know you are in for a wild, chaotic book full of energy and excitement. The pages are crowded with people, objects of all different colors, shapes and sizes are concentrated in one area but then eminate outwards, words like "kaboom" explode from the center of the page towards the edges. It's a nonstop barrage of stimuli.

Matty comes from a family that takes full advantage of all the fun things one can do with glue that are not quite "inside-the-box." Now at school, his teacher reminds her students of just how long glue to takes to dry and so to use it sparingly. (I remember this so well from elementary school- before glue sticks were commonplace- and it is absolutely true- it takes forever to dry).

Well, Matty really takes it to the next level. An obviously unrealistic next level but one that is imaginative and wacky if not entirely cautionary in nature. He gets himself into an altogether huge mess. He flops his entire body into a pool of glue and becomes stuck. His teacher is at a loss, the nurse doesn't know what to do, the principal gives him a note but all the children in the class are eager to help him. They work hard to help their friend trying different tactics. Matty knows this glue needs to dry and offers his buddies some advice as to how to help. The huge paper fans work just in time for the end of the school day and since the glue has dried his father is able to peel him off the table, take him home and "peel him like a banana."
Many people might say that this is not a book to read to wild children. Unmanageable kids might take it as permission to act off the wall but I disagree. I think that, much in the same way that dreaming satisfies certain urges and helps resolve curiosities in a safe and healthy way, so does reading or listening to a story that takes a thought and sees it all the way through. Letting the imagination go as far as it can. Using a story like this as a tool to talk about and channel those energies can be very effective.
As for Matty, the lesson he learned, without having to be punished, was invaluable. He got himself into trouble and he got out of that trouble with the help of his family and friends. People who cared about him did what they had to do to free him, just like he will down the line when they forget their lunch money, are getting picked on by a bully or cut themselves falling off their bike.

[T Crockett · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has fun word play with all sorts of great descriptive words. I bet it would make a great read aloud. The pictures are pretty fun too. I can imagine kids enjoying the craziness of the situation the main character gets into and the even crazier attempted solutions.

I had to take off a star for the old stereotypes of women that are used as punchlines in the story and illustrations. They aren't necessary to the story, but by being there they continue the idea that women are weak and easily overcome. The female teacher becomes hysterical and hyperventilates on the floor. Her voice is described with a variety of synonyms for shrill.

It's possible the author did this so the kids would try to solve the situation, but imagine if Ms. Frizzle, the teacher from the Magic School Bus were the teacher. She would have let the kids try to solve the situation without becoming a simpering puddle of distress.

The mom is given similar treatment. Throughout the story she's in a sort of sidekick role when anything fun is happening. The dad is the real source of fun and creativity. When the dad calmly brings home his mummified son from school, the mom is described as speechless. That's reasonable, but the way she's drawn makes her look scared and worried, the complete opposite of the dad who is laughingly solving the situation. Her reaction in the picture is too big for the situation. She is drawn as a weak, easily upset woman. Ick.

I know there are plenty of people who would say I'm reading too much into this, but entertainment sends messages about how to see the world and what is OK. We can do better.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see children loving this book. Matty and his parents love glue yet his art teacher at school, warns her students and especially Matty about using too much glue. When Matty decides not to listen to his Art Teacher, he creates quite a scene and he needs to be rescued.

Matty and his dad love glue and his mother will help them, when they need it. At school, Matty’s art teacher warns Matty that he uses too much glue yet one day, Matty goes extreme! Matty takes some full glue bottles, some googly eyes and some sequins and empties them all over his desk. What a mess! Matty performs a belly flop onto this pile and after rolling around in it, realizes that he can’t get up on his own. Wanting help, Matty yells and his friends try to assist. It’s funny but it’s also a lesson learned. When the friends can’t help him, they have to get some adults who try to get Maddy up. The illustrations are comical and the story itself will leave you smiling while at the same time you’ll be shaking your head. Does Matty ever get off the table and who can unstick him?

I adored the illustrations, they were bright, colorful and the faces of the characters were adorable. Children will love this story as it’s funny and entertaining. If you can sneak in some questions while reading this, that would be beneficial. Questions pertaining to why he didn’t listen to the art teacher, the consequences, etc. 3.5 stars.

[Katelyn Pitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, Matty the main character loves using glue, sometimes too much glue. During class one day, he uses too much glue, jumps in it, and gets stuck! His classmates try and get him unstuck in all sorts of ways. His dad finally saves the day by coming and getting him unstuck. Dad turns his glue mess into a masterpiece. The main characters in the story include Matty, his classmates, his mom and dad, and his teacher. Matty is adventurous and spunky. Mom and dad love being creative with Matty and having fun. His teacher seems to like order and gets very stressed when Matty makes the glue mess. His classmates love a good adventure and find the fun in helping him get unstuck. The text structure is very much problem/solution. The problem being that matty gets stuck In the glue. The whole story, they are trying to get to the solution of getting him unstuck until they finally do in the end. The illustrations are very detailed and perfectly depict an image of what the words are saying.
I loved the idea of this book and the idea of getting stuck in "too much" glue is so fun for students to listen to. You could use this book in the classroom right before an art project to show how to properly use glue and what might happen if they used too much.

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me make it clear that I loved the book. The art was magnificent. However...and you knew this was coming...I have serious issues with the message it gives. It would have to read to children with special and detailed annotation explaining why Matty's actions, and those of his classmates, were so horribly wrong and would, in real life, get the perpetrator in deep doo-doo.

We're given a teacher who not only cannot control her class, but has an anxiety attack when things go wrong. We have parents who not only don't punish, but engage in and promote bad behavior. We're shown school nurses and principals who are checked out. And then there are the children in the class who essentially do whatever they want.

Yes, yes, I get that it is a kids' book and not the first to show brats as the main character. But those others usually carry a message or moral after all the chaos and fun are completed. We don't get that in this book. Nor does there seem to be financial consequences for the damage and destruction Matty caused.

So while my rating is 4, mostly due to the exquisite art, if there was a separate rating for content and message, it would be a 1 or 2.

[Jess Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Matty and his problem with glue. At home Matty and his family use glue all the time, but his teacher tells Matty to not use too much or it won't dry. Matty ignores his teacher and jumps into his glue artwork and finds himself now glued to a table. After all the kids came up with different ideas to unstick Matty, to no avail he is getting more stuff stuck to him. After everyone keeps failing, Matty's dad shows up to pick him up to take him home. Matty's dad is able to free him but all the glue and stuff is still stuck to Matty. When Matty gets home his dad takes the glue off and sticks his artwork on the fridge. The principal left Matty's parents a note during the whole issue which was to encourage Matty to use tape. I thought this book was adorable. My Mother in law recommended it for me and said it was cute so that is why I decided to read it. I would 100% add this book to my personal library because it was so cute and it can be good to teach kids to not use so much glue or they might be like Matty and get stuck! I think kids would enjoy this book because of how fun and silly it is.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lefebvre, Jason Too Much Glue, illustrated by Zac Retz. PICTURE BOOK. Flashlight Press, 2013. $17. 9781936261277

Matty is part of a very adventurous family, so when the art teacher tells him to be careful with the glue, he can’t help but use all the glue he can get his hands on. And for the final decoration he adds – himself! Now however, the glue is not dry and its almost time to go home. His friends try all kind of creative solutions to free him, but nothing seems to work. What will Matty’s Dad say when he comes to pick him up.

Now – you can take this book two ways. You can revel in the silliness of the story or you can be mad at the ineffective adults and the seeming lack of visible parenting skills. I choose to celebrate the goofiness of it all and enjoy the mess that Matty got himself into and his dad’s creative solution to the problem.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Haleemeh]

This book is such a goofy and silly book. It's about a young boy, named Matty who loves to make artwork at home with glue and with his dad. When he went to school one day, he belly flopped on the table full off glue and decorations. Before you knew it, poor Matty was wrapped in the glue and got stuck. He tried to pull away, but he can only lift his head and wiggle his hands and feet. The school nurse dropped in to check his temperature, but he didn't have a fever, so she couldn't send him home. Then, the principal walked in; he gazed at him and put a sticky note on him and left. All this was going on while the poor teacher was hyperventilating in the corner. In the illustrations of the book, it shows the teacher breathing into a paper bag, fanning herself, and then biting her nails. Those were my favorite illustrations, alone with some more. Eventually, Matty's dad came and rescued him. They even put his masterpiece on the fridge. I felt terrible for the teacher, she constantly warned Matty about putting too much glue, but he obviously didn't listen. Silly Matty!

[Rachael Boyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: 2016 Treasure State Award
Audience: K-2

Matty uses too much glue and gets stuck in his art project. His teacher panics while his friends try to think of clever ways to pull him out of the glue. Eventually his dad is able to pull him out of his glue- suite. They hang his glue masterpiece on the fridge and decide to use tape in the future!

1. The author tells the story from Matty’s perspective. It is easy to connect with Matty because we are hearing the whole story from his perspective and able to understand why he reacts the way he does.

2. This book presents the topics of growing within local community and the thrill of adventure. Matty is able to see his solid membership in his community when he is in trouble and all his friends rally around to help him. The thrill of adventure is also present in this book. Matty dramatically dives into a puddle of glue and ends up with a beautiful glue masterpiece to hang on his fridge!

[Brigitte Brulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm guilty of using glue dots or glue sticks instead of glue bottles or saying "dot, dot, not a lot" when doing projects that require glue with little ones. As a result, I was intrigued by this book. This was a silly book about a boy who loves to use a lot of glue, which leads to some funny results. I loved the teacher's expressions throughout the book as the other children try to remedy the situation to no avail. The nurse's response also made me laugh. At the end, I liked the different items that the main character was able to create with his parents using something other than glue. Hopefully, little ones won't get any ideas about creating their own "glue masterpiece" the same way the boy in this book did. With that being said, this book could be a great segway into fun crafts/projects with little ones at home.

[Meghan Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too Much Glue is the story of Matty, a little boy who LOVES glue. He is always told not to use too much, but he doesn't always listen. One day he gets himself stuck and his friends try all different ways to get him unstuck, while his teacher panics in the background. Will he ever get unstuck?

I loved this book!! It was so funny and the illustrations were perfect! It was funny seeing the teacher hyperventilating in a brown paper bag on one page. When he drove home with his dad Matty didn't have to say what happened because the pictures told you. I also loved the principal's note at the end. It was sweet how Matty's parents encouraged him to be unique and have fun!

Another good book for an art class/project. Teaching younger kids (kindergarten) how to use glue in the right way. How to be a helpful friend. Always follow the teacher's rules.

[Toreian · Rating 2 out of 5]

there was a little boy who would use glue in class and he would always use too much glue but at home him and his parents would make everything out of glue. When he would go to art class he would take all the full glue bottles and just squeeze them. Then he would dive down into the pile of glue and roll all over. This leaves Maddie stuck to the table and his teacher in the corner panicking while his friends were trying to find a way to get him apart from the table. They first tried to lasso him but it only ended in the rope popping and sticking to him. They constantly tried different ways to get him off the table but nothing worked. His dad came to school and pulled him off the table like it was nothing. His dad tells him that some beautiful things are only made once and that was one of them times. His dad then turned his glue suit into an actual art piece.

[Kenzie Weinrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book to use in a classroom when teaching how to use materials properly. Although it is fun, there can be many lessons taught from this book. The kid uses a lot of glue and he gets stuck to the table. Everyone is freaking out, and he also starts to freak out. When his dad gets there, his dad starts to problem solve. They got him detached from the table, and they went home. His dad said that beautiful things only happen once and this is one of them. They got the glue off and made it into a magnet for their fridge. I️ love how the author uses this lesson as a positive lesson and turns something negative into a positive, but lessons are still learned from this experience. From a teacher and parent perspective, it has a lot of sounds in it which can be fun for a read aloud. Overall, this is a great book to read for fun and to read to incorporate into a lesson.