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Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior
To pick, or not to pick? This etiquette question and loads more are answered in fourteen hilarious spreads by fourteen talented, well-loved artists. Each spread illustrates a setting from kids' everyday lives (and the potential blunders they may commit there) and the text emphasizes the right behavior.
From the dinner table to the doctor's office, from the playground to the pool, this irreverent book will help kids navigate any social scenario with utmost grace. Or at least without too much embarrassment.
From the dinner table to the doctor's office, from the playground to the pool, this irreverent book will help kids navigate any social scenario with utmost grace. Or at least without too much embarrassment.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published February 17, 2011
4 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Tedd Arnold
200 books296 followersTedd grew up with three brothers. His family lived on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years then returned to Elmira until Tedd was ten years old. His father's work then required that they move to Gainesville, Florida. There, Tedd's first art lessons in an abandoned dentist's office over the Happy Hour pool hall eventually led to a fine arts degree from the University of Florida.
He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. Carol, a kindergarten teacher, drew Tedd's attention to children's books. Their first son, Walter, inspired his breakthrough picture book, NO JUMPING ON THE BED!.
He and his family now live in Elmira. His second son, William, now stars in NO MORE WATER IN THE TUB!, a sequel to his first book. He has now published over 50 books as author and illustrator.
He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. Carol, a kindergarten teacher, drew Tedd's attention to children's books. Their first son, Walter, inspired his breakthrough picture book, NO JUMPING ON THE BED!.
He and his family now live in Elmira. His second son, William, now stars in NO MORE WATER IN THE TUB!, a sequel to his first book. He has now published over 50 books as author and illustrator.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 12, 2011
I was horrified when I began to read "Manners Mash-up" to my 4 year-old daughter. Aside from the negative style of teaching manners, "Don't do x. Don't do y," some of the illustrations are not age appropriate for any child in lower-level elementary school and quite frankly, are dark. I was most startled by the severed human legs on the page about Table Manners and the decapatated woman holding her own head in her lap in the doctor's office. The image of a school office worker wearing her bra on the outside of her shirt is not necessary. Nor is the entire two pages about not picking certain parts of your body.
January 18, 2011
Manners books for kids. It’s a subculture that has been around forever and is unlikely to ever go away. From the more than 100-year-old Gelett Burgess series about The Goops to the 1958 Sesyle Joslin title What Do You Say Dear? (illustrated by Maurice Sendak, no less) to today’s Patsy Says by Leslie Tryon or those Emily Post books for kids (Emily’s Everyday Manners, etc.) there is no shortage of titles aimed at improving the habits of the young. Creative books of manners are slightly less common. Generally speaking all the titles follow the same Goofus and Gallant format, so why mess with success? Then comes along Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior which seeks to shake things up a bit. Aiming to please both adults and kids, it’s a manners book that teaches by playing up horrible humorous habits. Whether your kids learn anything from it depends on how you’ll teach it, then. One thing's for certain, though. They certainly won’t be bored!
Fourteen illustrators come together for a single purpose. Each one is handed a different place where one should show good manners. For Tedd Arnold, that would be in the realm of good sportsmanship. For Bob Shea, it’s on the school bus. Covering everything from the supermarket to the dinner table, these artists do their darndest to then play up their various situations. For folks like Joe Berger or Sophie Blackall that means indulging in a veritable free-for-all. For folks like Peter H. Reynolds or LeUyen Pham it’s teaching by example. No matter their methods, each artist has their say, and at the end they must answer the most dreaded question of all: “What was your goofiest manners mishap?”
So the real question here is whether or not the book does more harm than good. Cause, let’s face it, there’s a reason kids have bad manners. Bad manners, at least in the short term, feel like they’re a lot more fun than good. Therein lies the rub in a manners book of this sort. If kids love to transgress (or watch others transgress from a safe distance) then we know whom they’re going to gravitate towards in a book of this sort. There’s a reason David Shannon’s David books are a hit, after all (and where IS Mr. Shannon in this book anyway?). As such, parents picking up this title need to be aware that the kids in the book sometimes make the admonitions moot by having a high old time whilst waltzing through birthday parties in their birthday suits or making faces at the opera performers. Fortunately, this is immediately apparent when you flip through. Nobody can miss that fact right from the start. And after all, even if the kids laugh at the antics committed here, that just means those same antics will stick in their minds. And it’s a lot easier to avoid misbehavior if you know what it is in the first place, wouldn’t you say?
There’s also a format to the “don’t”s that is sure to appeal to child readers. In a couple sections the illustrator has posted a list of “don’t”s, usually in an appropriate place (whiteboard, bulletin board, framed picture, etc.) that refer to actions being taken by the misbehaving urchins in the image. Kids can then read the offending lists and locate the offenders. Only a few illustrators have gone this route (Henry Cole, Frank Morrison, Kevin Sherry, etc.) but I think that their images are some of the most appealing as a result. It gives the pictures a kind of hide-and-seek quality.
It’s fun to note who the worst behaved of the illustrators are. The best behaved, bar none, is Peter H. Reynolds. Even his “manners mishap” at the end of the book is relatively polite (and, though he doesn’t explain it, involves his twin brother). The worst, however, is tough. You’d think the boys would have cornered the market on this one, so to speak. Between Dan Santat’s opera attendees and Joe Berger’s grocery cart racers, it would seem to be a lock. The women, however, have proven that when it comes to sheer chaos they are not to be outdone. The Tao Nyeu “picking” montage is probably the grossest of the bunch (a fact that is somewhat alleviated by the beauty of her sewn style). Yet it is Sophie Blackall (who displayed some younger sibling cunning not too long ago in The Big Red Lollipop) who probably wins this one. To my mind, playing with x-ray machines, skateboarding with gurneys, and answering the receptionist’s phone at the doctor’s office probably takes the cake. She had me at, “Bleeding? You don’t say!”
As for the artists themselves, I was interested in seeing if any tried a new artistic style for the purposes of experimentation. After all, each person here only had to create a single double page spread. If they wanted to test new styles without having to commit an entire book to the enterprise, wouldn’t a title like Manners Mash-Up make for a perfect opportunity? Yet for the most part, everyone stays in their comfort zone. Adam Rex with his gorgeous thick paints and Lynn Munsinger with her pigs. There were at least a couple instances where I felt the artists verging into new territory, though. Judy Schachner and Kevin Sherry indulged in an abundance of human figures, very different from their usual Skippyjon Jones / giant squid / squirrel fare. It’s Tao Nyeu who really runs away with the prize, though. There’s no way of telling if her anti-pick montage really is done entirely in appliqué. Maybe it’s all rendered to look that way on a computer, but I have my doubts. There’s a convincing quality to Ms. Nyeu’s three-dimensional stitches. Maybe I’m just a sucker, but if this is really and truly how Ms. Nyeu made the picture then I am on my knees hoping against hope that she does a whole book in this style in the future. After all, if she can convey disgusting qualities with mere thread, think what she could do with a real storyline.
It’s probably significant that Manners Mash-up should credit its existence to two previous books that established its multiple artist format early on. Dial’s Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? and Knock Knock took old jokes and handed them over to various illustrators (many of whom appear in this book) to play with as they pleased. The leap from jokes to manners is fairly short when you consider the potential for laughs. That said, in spite of the format similarities, this book probably pairs the best with a title like Officer Buckle and Gloria with its lists of rules and balance between loving safety and mocking it. On a serious note, there aren’t any manners books for kids in my library that combine so many places to be good (swimming pool, playground, cafeteria, etc.) in one fun-to-read collection. Clever parents and teachers will certainly be able to make use of this book on a practical level, while kids will revel in the abundant naughtiness. You get out of a book what you put into it. Even if what you put into it happens to be boogers.
For ages 4-8.
Fourteen illustrators come together for a single purpose. Each one is handed a different place where one should show good manners. For Tedd Arnold, that would be in the realm of good sportsmanship. For Bob Shea, it’s on the school bus. Covering everything from the supermarket to the dinner table, these artists do their darndest to then play up their various situations. For folks like Joe Berger or Sophie Blackall that means indulging in a veritable free-for-all. For folks like Peter H. Reynolds or LeUyen Pham it’s teaching by example. No matter their methods, each artist has their say, and at the end they must answer the most dreaded question of all: “What was your goofiest manners mishap?”
So the real question here is whether or not the book does more harm than good. Cause, let’s face it, there’s a reason kids have bad manners. Bad manners, at least in the short term, feel like they’re a lot more fun than good. Therein lies the rub in a manners book of this sort. If kids love to transgress (or watch others transgress from a safe distance) then we know whom they’re going to gravitate towards in a book of this sort. There’s a reason David Shannon’s David books are a hit, after all (and where IS Mr. Shannon in this book anyway?). As such, parents picking up this title need to be aware that the kids in the book sometimes make the admonitions moot by having a high old time whilst waltzing through birthday parties in their birthday suits or making faces at the opera performers. Fortunately, this is immediately apparent when you flip through. Nobody can miss that fact right from the start. And after all, even if the kids laugh at the antics committed here, that just means those same antics will stick in their minds. And it’s a lot easier to avoid misbehavior if you know what it is in the first place, wouldn’t you say?
There’s also a format to the “don’t”s that is sure to appeal to child readers. In a couple sections the illustrator has posted a list of “don’t”s, usually in an appropriate place (whiteboard, bulletin board, framed picture, etc.) that refer to actions being taken by the misbehaving urchins in the image. Kids can then read the offending lists and locate the offenders. Only a few illustrators have gone this route (Henry Cole, Frank Morrison, Kevin Sherry, etc.) but I think that their images are some of the most appealing as a result. It gives the pictures a kind of hide-and-seek quality.
It’s fun to note who the worst behaved of the illustrators are. The best behaved, bar none, is Peter H. Reynolds. Even his “manners mishap” at the end of the book is relatively polite (and, though he doesn’t explain it, involves his twin brother). The worst, however, is tough. You’d think the boys would have cornered the market on this one, so to speak. Between Dan Santat’s opera attendees and Joe Berger’s grocery cart racers, it would seem to be a lock. The women, however, have proven that when it comes to sheer chaos they are not to be outdone. The Tao Nyeu “picking” montage is probably the grossest of the bunch (a fact that is somewhat alleviated by the beauty of her sewn style). Yet it is Sophie Blackall (who displayed some younger sibling cunning not too long ago in The Big Red Lollipop) who probably wins this one. To my mind, playing with x-ray machines, skateboarding with gurneys, and answering the receptionist’s phone at the doctor’s office probably takes the cake. She had me at, “Bleeding? You don’t say!”
As for the artists themselves, I was interested in seeing if any tried a new artistic style for the purposes of experimentation. After all, each person here only had to create a single double page spread. If they wanted to test new styles without having to commit an entire book to the enterprise, wouldn’t a title like Manners Mash-Up make for a perfect opportunity? Yet for the most part, everyone stays in their comfort zone. Adam Rex with his gorgeous thick paints and Lynn Munsinger with her pigs. There were at least a couple instances where I felt the artists verging into new territory, though. Judy Schachner and Kevin Sherry indulged in an abundance of human figures, very different from their usual Skippyjon Jones / giant squid / squirrel fare. It’s Tao Nyeu who really runs away with the prize, though. There’s no way of telling if her anti-pick montage really is done entirely in appliqué. Maybe it’s all rendered to look that way on a computer, but I have my doubts. There’s a convincing quality to Ms. Nyeu’s three-dimensional stitches. Maybe I’m just a sucker, but if this is really and truly how Ms. Nyeu made the picture then I am on my knees hoping against hope that she does a whole book in this style in the future. After all, if she can convey disgusting qualities with mere thread, think what she could do with a real storyline.
It’s probably significant that Manners Mash-up should credit its existence to two previous books that established its multiple artist format early on. Dial’s Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? and Knock Knock took old jokes and handed them over to various illustrators (many of whom appear in this book) to play with as they pleased. The leap from jokes to manners is fairly short when you consider the potential for laughs. That said, in spite of the format similarities, this book probably pairs the best with a title like Officer Buckle and Gloria with its lists of rules and balance between loving safety and mocking it. On a serious note, there aren’t any manners books for kids in my library that combine so many places to be good (swimming pool, playground, cafeteria, etc.) in one fun-to-read collection. Clever parents and teachers will certainly be able to make use of this book on a practical level, while kids will revel in the abundant naughtiness. You get out of a book what you put into it. Even if what you put into it happens to be boogers.
For ages 4-8.
October 22, 2020
I like the idea of different illustrators teaming up, but there were some strange illustrations in this book for my tastes.
May 10, 2011
Fourteen picture book creators take on manners in this mash up of talent. Each illustrator is given a double page spread to fill with their work as well as some advice on how to mind their manners. There is a specific setting in each one, including school, birthday party, table manners, and the supermarket. All of the illustrators approach manners with a light touch and plenty of humor, meaning that this is one manners book that children will actually enjoy!
One of the pleasures of the book is turning the page and discovering an entirely different style from a new illustrator. The book includes illustrators like Bob Shea, Tedd Arnold, Lynn Munsinger, Sophie Blackall, and Adam Rex. It keeps the book very fresh, as each illustrator works in their distinct and unique style. The lists of manner rules are very silly, especially when they deal with the ultimate manner rule of no picking!
Manner books at libraries tend to come in sets of books and trend toward the preachy. This is a fresh, funny look at manners that puts those to shame. Make room on your library shelf for this one! Appropriate for ages 5-8.
One of the pleasures of the book is turning the page and discovering an entirely different style from a new illustrator. The book includes illustrators like Bob Shea, Tedd Arnold, Lynn Munsinger, Sophie Blackall, and Adam Rex. It keeps the book very fresh, as each illustrator works in their distinct and unique style. The lists of manner rules are very silly, especially when they deal with the ultimate manner rule of no picking!
Manner books at libraries tend to come in sets of books and trend toward the preachy. This is a fresh, funny look at manners that puts those to shame. Make room on your library shelf for this one! Appropriate for ages 5-8.
May 5, 2011
Maybe we should have paged through this funny book, to which each artist has contributed a virtuoso piece (Tao Nyeu embroidered hers! overachiever!) before I took the kids to a South Indian supper club dinner this week. The boys were polite and friendly, didn't jump the buffet line, tried all the exotic food - made me so proud - right up to the moment Mao lit the table on fire.
Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...
Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...
May 10, 2012
I have a more base sense of humor than Donalyn. It probably is a 4-star book because is isn't THAT well-written, most likely, but kids will love this, and I see so many writing opportunities with this book. I love it where they say don't wipe boogers under desks (or is it theater seats) because that's reserved for used gum. 5th grade boys will love the grossness of all of that, and so will so many others. It is just a fun book for all ages. I have IDEAS!!!
May 9, 2012
14 renowned picture illustrators tackle manners -- addressing proper behavior from the dinner table to visiting relatives to the swimming pool. Each topic reflects the artist's unique style. A fun book for the first week of school and those boring discussions about rules.
November 29, 2017
A decent collection of manners and rules, but each spread has its own feel and there's definitely no connection. Some of the illustrations are a bit dark (a severed leg on the table and a 3-headed boy on the "Table Manners" page, a naked girl (showing her backside) on the "Party Manners" page, and a woman holding her own decapitated head in the waiting room on the "Doctor's Office" page). Overall, a horrible read aloud, but perhaps not a bad read-together with one child alone.
January 23, 2021
This is an interesting way to collaborate. I liked the illustrations and the theme of the book.
The only problem I have with it is that it is a little difficult to read with a group, simply because there is so much going on.
The kids in my classroom liked to look at it though.
The only problem I have with it is that it is a little difficult to read with a group, simply because there is so much going on.
The kids in my classroom liked to look at it though.
August 24, 2023
Some of these pages are very funny, especially the last one about not picking. Each author/illustrator has a page about manners in various situations and children either following or not following rules.
July 5, 2017
So fun--especially for author/illustrator fans! Loved the last page with a personal story from each contributor, too.
August 30, 2017
Super cute, fun book about manners and good behavior. Doesn't lend well to read alouds though, in my opinion. But, I definitely think kids would enjoy it.
July 14, 2019
It was ok. I think there are better ways to teach manners but this could get the conversation started. This book is kind of a mish-mash of info without any cohesion or reason.
May 25, 2020
Okay so it’s a cute book but there are some disturbing images on two pages. Definitely skip table manners and the doctor’s office. This book would be better off without those.
May 26, 2020
Each page is a list of rules for what not to do. The pictures are supposed to be funny, but mostly it just sounds nagging.
Read
December 23, 2020A goofy 🙃 & stylish guide to good behavior;
September 5, 2023
So fun to see the styles of all the illustrators
December 3, 2023
The last page was my favorite.
February 28, 2020
2.5/5 (physical book)
This is a cute book, and I love the concept of a silly manners book for young readers, but the one main issue I had with it was that all of the "rules" were in the negative. Don't do this. Don't do that. I feel like it would be beneficial to insert at least some, if not all, positive behaviors.
This is a cute book, and I love the concept of a silly manners book for young readers, but the one main issue I had with it was that all of the "rules" were in the negative. Don't do this. Don't do that. I feel like it would be beneficial to insert at least some, if not all, positive behaviors.
October 5, 2012
This book is so funny! This is a must have for any classroom (particularly K-3), school library, and home. The book teaches children the importance of etiquette, and might just teach the adults who are reading it some, too. It takes the daily life of a child, their experiences and offers up suggestions of what to do and most certainly what not to do. I chuckled out loud when reading this book, especially the "Don't Stare At" section of the book. It takes place in the school office and the manners listed among others are don't stare at people's bottoms, funny outfits, gross things on people's faces. The illustrations to coinside with these statements are a woman wearing a bra on the outside of her shirt, a man with plumber pants, and another woman with a hairy mole on her nose. These are all things that we all have to deal with on a daily basis, not just kids. Most of the time, however, kids are not shy about commenting on what they see! Hence, the reason for the book. The book goes on to tell how to treat your friends, how to behave in the classroom, good sportsmanship, table manners, being a guest in someone's home or at a party, and good manners for public places and most importantly; don't pick your nose in public! This is a fun book and I can hear the laughter of little kids already. I will definitely have this one on the shelves in my classroom and I am buying it for my home!
Arnold, Tedd. Manners mash-up: A goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2011.
Arnold, Tedd. Manners mash-up: A goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2011.
October 3, 2012
Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior by Tedd Arnold is just what the title suggests! The story begins with a picture of a school bus. Inside the bus are children breaking the rules and on the outside there are signs to remind them what they should be doing instead. Tedd uses humor to convey messages about manners such as “Don’t work on your Science Project” while a child is wearing safety goggles and transferring chemicals into a volcano to get the audience’s attention. The next few pages offer suggestions about how to act at school in general. After that he goes on to highlight the fact that manners are also to be used when we are attending special occasions. Some of these occasions include playing a sport, attending a birthday party, and going to the doctor’s office. The detail of this book suggests that it could be used for a large group read, but definitely should be passed along for individual reading.
I would recommend this book for grades K-2nd. It uses cartoons and silly situations to convey an important message, and that is exactly what children need at this age. They are faced with similar situations everyday, and using this book would be a great way to remind them of how they should be act!
Arnold, Ted. (2011). Manner Mash-up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers.
I would recommend this book for grades K-2nd. It uses cartoons and silly situations to convey an important message, and that is exactly what children need at this age. They are faced with similar situations everyday, and using this book would be a great way to remind them of how they should be act!
Arnold, Ted. (2011). Manner Mash-up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers.
October 23, 2012
Arnold, Tedd. Manners mash-up: a goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2011. Print.
Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior
By Tedd Arnold among many, many others
I chose this book due to my classroom management skills that need some polishing especially with a few very challenging kiddos this year.
Each two-page spread is done by someone different so that the art varies from page to page making it quite interesting visually. Each spread has a different theme, different setting and teaches in a humorous way how to mind your manners. The themes range from school to public places including the supermarket and theater. There are so many details and different manners to mind that it will keep the interest of children for a very long time. At the end of this storybook author-illustrators comment on one manner that they made a mistake of not minding that had embarrassing consequences.
The book is sure to make any child laugh ages Kindergarten through 6th grade it would be ideal to read to your class during the first week of school. The reading level of such a book I would say is between 1st and 3rd grades. Super funny and I will read this to the class I am working with as I know they will not be able to resist giggling!
Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior
By Tedd Arnold among many, many others
I chose this book due to my classroom management skills that need some polishing especially with a few very challenging kiddos this year.
Each two-page spread is done by someone different so that the art varies from page to page making it quite interesting visually. Each spread has a different theme, different setting and teaches in a humorous way how to mind your manners. The themes range from school to public places including the supermarket and theater. There are so many details and different manners to mind that it will keep the interest of children for a very long time. At the end of this storybook author-illustrators comment on one manner that they made a mistake of not minding that had embarrassing consequences.
The book is sure to make any child laugh ages Kindergarten through 6th grade it would be ideal to read to your class during the first week of school. The reading level of such a book I would say is between 1st and 3rd grades. Super funny and I will read this to the class I am working with as I know they will not be able to resist giggling!
June 6, 2014
Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior is about good behavior in different situations. Do you notice any bad behaviors/manners in these pictures? (Show the cover of the book and wait for children’s response). This book is going to show us how we shouldn’t behave in social situations. Each of the 14 settings is going to have pictures from different illustrators. Since we are in school, what kind of behaviors for school do you think will be in this book?
• Encourages children to notice information in illustrations
• Prompt hypothesizing based on the situation
• Prompt predictions based on the title
Manners Mash-Up provides the students lessons on having good manners in multiple situations. The use of different illustrators makes it more interesting because there are fourteen different settings and examples of the wrong behavior in a certain setting. Reading this book first lays the ground work for proper table manners and next books I will be reading.
(2011, August/September). Library Media Connection. http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=e...
• Encourages children to notice information in illustrations
• Prompt hypothesizing based on the situation
• Prompt predictions based on the title
Manners Mash-Up provides the students lessons on having good manners in multiple situations. The use of different illustrators makes it more interesting because there are fourteen different settings and examples of the wrong behavior in a certain setting. Reading this book first lays the ground work for proper table manners and next books I will be reading.
(2011, August/September). Library Media Connection. http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=e...
October 16, 2012
In the picture book Manners Mash-Up: a Goofy Guide to Good Behavior, children can read about what is proper behavior and manners for various situations. Each page is illustrated by a different illustrator in their particular style. Each one chooses a different way to present those manners in humorous, yet blunt page spreads. The only drawback to this book is that I was hoping to see some information about manners that were out-of-date and considered silly in today’s society. Overall though, this publication is a novel approach on how to teach children today about manners. This book is best enjoyed by children in kindergarten and first grade. The language can be a little hard to understand or read, but with teacher assistance, many children will enjoy this collection of do’s and don’ts.
Arnold, T. (2011). Manners mash-up: a goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Scholastic.
Arnold, T. (2011). Manners mash-up: a goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Scholastic.
October 4, 2012
Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior is a set of 14 spreads by 14 different famous picture book illustrators. Each spread is of a different place (from a bus to a swimming pool) and includes text about the good manners one should have, along with pictures showing bad manners some may have. It is a humorous and captivating way of introducing younger children to manners. I would choose this book for a manners lesson with grades Kindergarten through 3rd, although the page on 'Table Manners' may need to be skipped as the picture may be too disturbing or scary for some younger children. This book could also be used for older students, even as old as high school and beyond, as it illustrates 14 different styles of artistry which would be very beneficial for art lessons.
Arnold, T. (2011). Manners mash-up: A goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Arnold, T. (2011). Manners mash-up: A goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
December 23, 2011
All of us can use a reminder of our manners on occasion and this book provides such a lesson. I think that humor is a very effective way to teach children about manners and this book succeeds in this respect. Fourteen different authors have created humorous entries, each with a different manners topic. All of the two-page spreads have colorful and entertaining illustrations, with depictions of both good and bad manners. The illustration style varies widely and we really enjoyed being able to recognize the work of some of our favorites. We also really liked the personal anecdotes from all of the authors at the end which tell of manners mishaps they experienced. Overall, it's an entertaining and informative book and we enjoyed reading it together.
June 7, 2012
This was an interesting book in that each 2-page spread was illustrated by a different person. It was fun to see such a wide range of styles in one book. Some of the pictures were a bit scary - lady holding her cut off head, chopped off feet on the table and so on. Others were a bit 'off' - picking of a nose or a wedgie. Most kids will be okay with this and even like it, sensitive children should be aware.
The rules were often funny. The illustrations silly. My boys liked it. While it does attempt to teach manners, this will not be the 'read it and you're done' book of manners - you'll certainly want a more in-depth book or parental discussions.
Worth a look at the library if you have a slightly skewed sense of humor but not a purchase for my family.
The rules were often funny. The illustrations silly. My boys liked it. While it does attempt to teach manners, this will not be the 'read it and you're done' book of manners - you'll certainly want a more in-depth book or parental discussions.
Worth a look at the library if you have a slightly skewed sense of humor but not a purchase for my family.
July 3, 2012
You know how as parents, we aren't supposed to say "no" ALL the time? I'm taking this more as a comedy. It's mostly full of "so awful it's funny" situations. Imagining a day full of all that?
I love how each page has a theme and then, because it's illustrated by many people who each get one page to make their point, you really see their style stand out. One person can certainly do different styles of drawings, or embroidery, but because they have just those two pages in which to stand out they really go to it. I agree the mad scientist lab is pretty gross and creepy but there are going to be kids who love it.
Probably because it's funny, it could even make it point. Help kids remember, "don't do that!"
I love how each page has a theme and then, because it's illustrated by many people who each get one page to make their point, you really see their style stand out. One person can certainly do different styles of drawings, or embroidery, but because they have just those two pages in which to stand out they really go to it. I agree the mad scientist lab is pretty gross and creepy but there are going to be kids who love it.
Probably because it's funny, it could even make it point. Help kids remember, "don't do that!"
October 5, 2012
This book is awesome! What a great way to get kids to pay attention to everyday etiquette! There are 14 illustrators for this book, and each one takes on a different situation where manners are important. From the Supermarket to the dinner table, there is a picture for basically every moment in a child's life that would involve proper behavior! The pictures are all set up very busy, and all over the place, which is just what a kid needs to be entertained. The situations are all presented with humor and with wit, but make sure to hit all the key "rules". This book would be entertaining for all elementary grades, as good manners never become irrelevant!
Arnold, T. (2011). Manners mash-up: a goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Arnold, T. (2011). Manners mash-up: a goofy guide to good behavior. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
March 22, 2012
I really like the way this book on manners was written--each 2-page spread dealt with manners in a different situation (playground, cafeteria, classroom) and was illustrated by a different illustrator. I loved Lynn Munsinger's pigs in the cafeteria and Adam Rex's monsters at the table. The most amazing illustration was by Tao Nyeu, who made it with embroidered stitches on cloth. The last 2-page spread contains brief interviews with each of the illustrators about their "goofiest manners mishap." Kids reading this should have fun as well as learn something. I wish they'd included library manners! Recommended.
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