The Mischievians

by William Joyce, William Joyce (Illustrator)

Overview

Where’s my homework? Who took my other sock? What’s that in my belly button? The creators of the #1 New York Times bestselling and Academy Award–winning The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore have found the answers to these and other life mysteries…and no, it’s not your fault!

Strange smells. Disappearing remotes. That itch you just can’t reach. It’s not your fault! It’s the Mischievians, an ancient race of global mischief-makers who do all the things that embarrass you. All the things that bug you. All the things that YOU get blamed for!

There is no cause for alarm (sorta). Come meet the Homework Eater, the fiend who steals your homework! See the Endroller, the villain who uses up ALL the toilet paper! Discover the Yawn Mower, the creature who makes you yawn at the worst possible time! And many, many more. Read on, and be free.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442473478
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/22/2013
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

William Joyce does a lot of stuff but children’s books are his true bailiwick (The Guardians series, Dinosaur Bob series, George Shrinks, and the #1 New York Times bestselling The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which is also his Academy Award–winning short film, to name a few). He lives in Shreveport, Louisiana. Talk to William Joyce and see upcoming work on Instagram.

William Joyce does a lot of stuff but children’s books are his true bailiwick (The Guardians series, Dinosaur Bob series, George Shrinks, and the #1 New York Times bestselling The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which is also his Academy Award–winning short film, to name a few). He lives in Shreveport, Louisiana. Talk to William Joyce and see upcoming work on Instagram.

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2013
Worry not, kids. Missing a sock? Homework vanished into the ether? Just realized you have “a booger dangling out of your nose and you know it’s been there maybe all day and everybody has probably seen it?” It isn’t your fault. These and other woes are caused by implike creatures known as Mischievians, as two siblings learn courtesy of one Dr. Maximilian Zooper. Joyce (the Guardians of Childhood) structures his story as a guide to the Mischievians, from Mista Blista—a smiley, blister-causing shoe-lurker—to the skateboard riding Itchy and dreaded Earworm. The book’s Q&A format is jokey and informal, with kidlike queries (“Why do I sometimes get a thorn thingy stuck in my foot when I walk barefoot in the grass?”) and lightheartedly informative responses. Clever touches abound in Joyce’s whimsically imagined portraits of the creatures, with their odd tufts of hair, spindly appendages, and assorted suction cups, horns, and accessories. If a tad long to read through start to finish (is a Mischievian also responsible for squirming?), there’s great fun to be had discovering the sources of everyday annoyances. Ages 5–8. Agent: Michael Siegel, Michael Siegel & Associates. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

2013-08-15
A guide to the elusive creatures responsible for everyday ills offers kids the ultimate book of excuses. Why are some things always sticky? Who hid the remote? What does an earworm really look like? Two children plagued by a series of inexplicable events make the acquaintance of Dr. Zooper. He encourages them to read his guide, The Mischievians, billed as "An encyclopedia of things that make mischief, make mayhem, make noise, and make you CRAZY!" Here, the kids learn about critters like the Sock Stalker, which only steals one of any pair, or the File Sucker, a subspecies of the better-known Homework Eater. With his customary flair, Joyce brings to life all manner of benign but annoying mischief-makers, ending the book with the kids (and the readers) determined to identify even more. Written for the most part in Q-and-A fashion, the book lends itself to both browsing and reading all in one fell swoop. This being Joyce, the creatures aren't half as disgusting as they could be (even when they're luring boogers out of noses or raising blisters on toes). Successfully tapping into the human need to find explanations for all-too-common annoyances, this book charms with its intricacy. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews