A Stack of Alpacas

by Matt Cosgrove, Matt Cosgrove (Illustrator)

Overview

Macca the alpaca is looking after his nieces and nephew and they are nothing but TROUBLE! Can Uncle Macca rein in this unruly trio?

Smashing and splashing! Jumping and thumping! Macca is an alpaca who loves silly caps and taking naps. But can Macca take care of his rambunctious nieces and nephew for an entire afternoon? Let's find out!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338716221
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Series:	Macca the Alpaca
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Matt Cosgrove, lover of words, pictures and books in general, is the author and illustrator of the Macca the Alpaca series and many other books in Australia, including My Dad Is a Robot, Thanks, Mum!, and the Epic Fail Tales series. In a varied career spanning over 25 years, Matt has been the creative director of a magazine and a lecturer in comic art at Western Sydney University, and worked in television. He has also campaigned tirelessly for the inclusion of Pictionary as an Olympic sport (not really — but he definitely should). Visit him online at mattcosgrovebooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Macca the Alpaca:"Featuring clean lines, vibrant colors, and the protagonists' dramatically distinct facial expressions, Cosgrove's art drives home the unmistakable message of this snappy readaloud: hugs, not shoves."--Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2020-09-01
Three misbehaving young visitors give Macca the alpaca hairy conniptions.

The storyline is best regarded as a vehicle for scenes of big-eyed, dainty-hoofed super cuties and a narrative so choked with trite and forced rhymes that it’s hard to read with a straight face. The bully-beating woolly introduced in Macca the Alpaca (2020) initially welcomes a visit from two nieces and a nephew (“That guy is called Drew. / He’s Macca’s nephew!”). However, they play so wildly that the house is soon a wreck, and they display terrible table manners to boot: “They flicked all their peas / and scoffed down candies.” Confectionery-bright backgrounds set off equally candy-colored crias surrounded by similarly hued rubble. No sooner does “Uncle Mac / completely blow his stack,” however, than all three repentantly rush off to clean everything up and then fall asleep in an angelic little pile—the titular stack. Sure, young readers will definitely buy that as viable behavior-modeling. On the other hand, the snortworthy verse, sweet pastel colors, and, especially, all those huge, round eyes with their long lashes may beguile even dyed-in-the-wool cynics. For a few moments, at least, and then they will brush their teeth. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.9-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 60% of actual size.)

Readers may wonder if it’s meant to be parody. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews