Bunion Burt

by Marsha Hayles, Jack E. Davis (Illustrator)

Overview

Ouch! Burt's feet hurt! Granny Gert and Cousin Kurt and Old Doc Smurt and Sister Vert try everything they can think of to help Burt feel better. But nothing works! Is there anything that will cure Burt's achin' feet?

Marsha Hayle's laugh-out-loud rhymes and Jack E. Davis's wacky pictures will have kids cheering for Burt right up until the surprise ending.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416941323
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	11/10/2009
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	996,143
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD690L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marsha Hayles is the author of numerous picture books, including Bunion Burt, Beach Play, Pet of a Pet, The Feathered Crown, Pajamas Anytime, and He Saves the Day. She lives in Rochester, New York with her family. Visit Marsha's website at marshahayles.com.

Jack E. Davis was senior art director with a a large ad agency before becoming a children's book illustrator. Among the books he has illustrated are Bedhead by Margi Palatini, Metro Cat by Marsha Diane Arnold, Music Over Manhattan by Mark Karlins, and the ongoing series The Zack Files by Dan Greenburg. He lives in Port Townsend, Washington, and has three sons and two cats.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 2—Burt tries practically everything to heal his aching feet. He sticks them in mud, rinses them in "cloudburst sprinkles," and dries them in the sun. These efforts only worsen the condition, leaving his feet sunburned and wrinkly. He then takes Doctor Smurt's advice and puts them on ice. After they turn blue with cold, his sister gives him a pedicure. When the boy finally breaks down after all of these treatments have failed, his family gathers around to comfort him and to offer a solution. The cartoon illustrations are bright and outlandish, often emphasizing the worsening condition of Burt's large feet. Rhyming names (Burt, Myrt, Pert, etc.) and text ("I'm NAILED./All cures have FAILED. My feet have me DEFEATED!") add to the story's overall humor. Small children will find Burt's predicament hilarious while also sympathizing with his pain.—Donna Atmur, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

There's no lack of advice for this poor little boy. Bunion Burt, readers are told in tightly rhyming verse, has "feet that hurt. / They pinched and poked and pained him. / The folks all knew / 'Bout Burt's feet too- / His bunions had nicknamed him." Everyone in his life has a cure. Mama Myrt gives him Goop for the Feet, to little effect. Burt passes up a big wedge of cake to roam the family farm in search of a solution. The sweet sow Pert recommends a wallow in the mud, Grandma Gert orders a bath and Cousin Kurt says the sun can cure Burt's bunions. As depicted in Davis's appealingly quirky watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations, none of these remedies helps. Burt also tries ice and toenail polish (this last courtesy of cute sister Vert) to no avail. It takes Pappy Spurt to come up with the happy solution that young listeners will likely already have thought of. A bouncy rib-tickler, best for preschoolers. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews