A hilarious, irreverent book about doing your own thing
Meet Iggy Peck—creative, independent, and not afraid to express himself! In the spirit of David Shannon's No, David and Rosemary Wells's Noisy Nora, Iggy Peck will delight readers looking for irreverent, inspired fun.
Iggy has one passion: building. His parents are proud of his fabulous creations, though they're sometimes surprised by his materials—who could forget the tower he built of dirty diapers? When his second-grade teacher declares her dislike of architecture, Iggy faces a challenge. He loves building too much to give it up! With Andrea Beaty's irresistible rhyming text and David Roberts's puckish illustrations, this book will charm creative kids everywhere, and amuse their sometimes bewildered parents.

Youthful irreverence and creativity find a champion in this tale of Iggy Peck, a child who once built a great tower-in only an hour-/ with nothing but diapers and glue. At the sight (and smell) of this wonder, Iggy's mother memorably responds, Good Gracious, Ignacious! She supports his precocity, despite his preferred media. When Iggy arrives in second grade, however, his teacher forbids such follies, based on her childhood fear of skyscrapers. Her backstory suggests teachers' rules can be arbitrary, not to mention damaging to inventive students: With no chance to build, his interest was killed, and Iggy droops disconsolately at his desk amid blank negative space. His ennui lasts until a fortuitous school picnic, when a rickety footbridge collapses (and so does the teacher); led by Iggy, the children construct a suspension bridge from boots, tree roots and strings, fruit roll-ups and things/ (some of which one should not mention), including undies. Beaty (When Giants Come to Play) favors sprightly stanzas, while Roberts (Mrs. Crump's Cat) drafts orderly watercolor images on, alternately, clean white paper and graph paper. The structured rhymes and controlled illustrations fit the architectural theme, and if the mannered poetry strains at times, Roberts breaks free of the stylization with absorbing details. Each of Iggy's 16 classmates, for example, has his or her own unique quality, implying the variety of personalities and potentials to be appreciated in any group of children. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Categories:

• Children's Books
  
  
  • Growing Up & Facts of Life
    
    
    • Friendship, Social Skills & School Life
      • School