Skeleton Hiccups

by Margery Cuyler, S.D. Schindler (Illustrator)

Overview

What's the best way to help a skeleton get over his hiccups?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416902768
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	08/01/2005
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	233,709
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Margery Cuyler has written stories ever since she learned how to write. A children’s book editor and author for more than twenty years, she now devotes most of her time to writing. Her many children's books include 100th Day Worries, illustrated by Arthur Howard, and The Biggest, Best Snowman, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Margery lives with her family in Princeton, New Jersey, in a house that’s said to be haunted by a ghost!

S. D. Schindler is the popular and versatile illustrator of many books for children, including Ursula K. Le Guin’s Catwings series; Skeleton Hiccups and Monster Mess!, both by Margery Cuyler; Big Pumpkin and the ALA Notable Children’s Book Don’t Fidget a Feather!, both by Erica Silverman; How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky; and Johnny Appleseed by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benét. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His website is SDSchindlerBooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Offbeat — hic — comedy"
— Publishers Weekly

"Words and pictures come together to create an offbeat tale that will tickle the funny bones of primary grade children."
— Children's Literature

From the Publisher

Skeleton's persistent hiccups prevent him from carving a pumpkin and other activities. "The commonplace condition and unlikely victim make for offbeat-hic-comedy," wrote PW. Ages 3-6. (Sept.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-K-This simple story begs to be read aloud. With a recurring "hic, hic, hic," Skeleton attempts the day's business: he gets up, takes a shower, polishes his bones, carves a pumpkin, rakes the leaves, and plays ball with Ghost. When the traditional remedies don't work, Ghost makes a face and shouts "Boo!" at his friend, but to no avail. Finally, clever Ghost confronts Skeleton with a mirror, frightening the hiccups right out of him and sending them "hic, hic, hic"-ing over the hills. With hilarious illustrations that fill the pages, this book will be a treat for children who can laugh at the slightly macabre. Not all youngsters will be comfortable when Skeleton brushes his teeth and hiccups at the same time, jettisoning his lower jaw across the page, or when the sugar falls through his bones and water pours through his empty eye sockets as he attempts to rid himself of the bone-jarring nuisance. However, Schindler's gouache, watercolor, and ink pictures make the most out of each situation, instilling humor in every scene.-Piper L. Nyman, Fairfield/Suisun Community Library, Fairfield, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Who hasn't shared the aggravation of a whole day's worth of bone-rattling hiccups? Poor Skeleton wakes up with a deadly case that he can't shake, and it's up to his friend Ghost to think of something to scare them away. Cuyler (Stop, Drop, and Roll, 2001, etc.) cleverly brings readers through the ups and downs of Skeleton's day, from shower to ball-playing. Home folk remedies (holding his breath, eating sugar) don't seem to work, but Ghost applies a new perspective startling enough to unhinge listeners and Skeleton alike. While the concept is clever, it's Schindler's (How Santa Lost His Job, 2001, etc.) paintings, done with gouache, ink, and watercolor, that carry the day, showing Skeleton's own unique problems-water pours out of his hollow eyes when he drinks it upside down, his teeth spin out of his head when he brushes them-that make a joke of the circumstances. Oversized spreads open the scene to read-aloud audiences, but hold intimate details for sharp eyes-monster slippers, sugar streaming through the hollow body. For all the hiccupping, this outing has a quiet feel not up to the standards of some of Cuyler's earlier books, but the right audience will enjoy its fun. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews