SLIS 5420
Hilbun
Blog 15
Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Nerds)
by
Dave Pilkey
Plot Summary: The aliens Zorx, Klax and Jenifer land on the planet Earth with the intention of taking over the entire world. at the same time George and Harold learn that the combination of vinegar and baking soda has explosive consequences. Generally being up to no good George and Harold leave a recipe for some cupcakes for principal Krupp in the kitchen. The lunch ladies wanting to celebrate principal Krupps birthday with some gusto decide to make 200 cupcakes. Of course when all that vinegar mixes with all that baking soda goop goes all over the place making a big mess inside the school. The lunch ladies are very upset by this and quit. Principal Krupp promptly hires three new replacements. Unbeknownst to Principal Krupp the three new lunch ladies he hired are the aliens who want to take over the world. The next day as George and Harold got to lunch and see that after eating the food the students become zombie nerds. George and Harold attempt to prevent more zombie nerd creation by taking the growth serum and pouring it out the window. Unfortunately that creates a giant man eating dandelion. the alien lunch ladies get wise to Harold and George's plan and lock them up with Principal Krupp. The only one who can get the out of this jam is the one the only Captain Underpants. Captain Underpants defeats the alien lunch ladies and the man eating dandelion.
My Impression: I get what this book might be censored by parents and teachers. The humor is crude and primarily of the potty variety. I'm no elitist there is a time and a place for every kind of joke. I myself have laughed and the occasional piece of well timed and well placed potty humor. However, for my taste this book goes off the deep end. But kids respond to it and it gets kids to read. Mr. Pilkey's books could very well inspire the next Mark Twain or at least some to enjoy a life of reading. If either of those events happen I'm okay with it. If neither of those events happen, this book should still never ever be banned. When I grew up I had Garbage Pail Kids trading cards and I thought they were the coolest thing ever. After reading this book I went back and looked at them, I can honestly say that I was a little grossed out by them. yet those cards also brought a nostalgic grin to my face. I remember feeling so cool that I had something my parents didn't like but allowed me to have. No one should deny a child a future nostalgic smile. What a child is into now certainly does not reflect there future endeavors. If that were case I imagine I would be a garbage man (a well paid and under appreciated profession), some sort of hobo who eats from the garbage or possibly a sideshow carnival attraction. I'm not though, I'm trying to become a librarian.
Onto Mr. Pilkey's writing. The styles of the book bridges the gap between chapter books and comic books. Mr. Pilkey's artwork is crude, but the style lends itself to the subject material.
Reviews:
Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies(The third book in the Captain Underpants series)(1999)A novel by
Hooray for Captain Underpants! Every body's favorite waistband warrior is back, ready to fight for Truth, Justice, and all that is Pre-Shrunk and Cottony. If you've read Dav Pilkey's first two comic epics, The Adventures of Captain Underpants and Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, you already know the brave Captain is really just crabby old Principal Krupp, hypnotized into becoming the world's greatest superhero every time someone snaps their fingers. And of course you know the trouble-making hypnotists are none other than Jerome Horwitz Elementary School's two most notorious tricksters, George and Harold ("We rule!" "Me, too!").Well, George and Harold--surprise, surprise--are at it again. The cranky lunch ladies quit after George and Harold fool them into baking super-volcanic krispy kupcakes that flood the school with gigantic green globs o' goo. Mr. Krupp finds replacements and fast, but he unwittingly hires the tentacled alien trio of Zorx, Klax, and Jennifer in disguise! Will they turn everyone in school into evil zombie nerds? Can George and Harold save the world before it's too late? All seems lost until the diabolical Zorx snaps his... um, tentacles in front of Mr. Krupp, and the power of wedgies comes to the rescue once again.Captain Underpants's third outing is better than ever, with patented Flip-o-Rama animation and wacky bonus comics like "Captain Underpants--Wedgie Wars" and "Captain Underpants and the Night of the Living Lunch Ladies." (Ages 8 to 12) --Paul Hughes
Hooray for Captain Underpants! Every body's favorite waistband warrior is back, ready to fight for Truth, Justice, and all that is Pre-Shrunk and Cottony. If you've read Dav Pilkey's first two comic epics, The Adventures of Captain Underpants and Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, you already know the brave Captain is really just crabby old Principal Krupp, hypnotized into becoming the world's greatest superhero every time someone snaps their fingers. And of course you know the trouble-making hypnotists are none other than Jerome Horwitz Elementary School's two most notorious tricksters, George and Harold ("We rule!" "Me, too!").Well, George and Harold--surprise, surprise--are at it again. The cranky lunch ladies quit after George and Harold fool them into baking super-volcanic krispy kupcakes that flood the school with gigantic green globs o' goo. Mr. Krupp finds replacements and fast, but he unwittingly hires the tentacled alien trio of Zorx, Klax, and Jennifer in disguise! Will they turn everyone in school into evil zombie nerds? Can George and Harold save the world before it's too late? All seems lost until the diabolical Zorx snaps his... um, tentacles in front of Mr. Krupp, and the power of wedgies comes to the rescue once again.Captain Underpants's third outing is better than ever, with patented Flip-o-Rama animation and wacky bonus comics like "Captain Underpants--Wedgie Wars" and "Captain Underpants and the Night of the Living Lunch Ladies." (Ages 8 to 12) --Paul Hughes
Hughes, Paul [Review of Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Nerds)] Retrieved from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/dav-pilkey/invasion-of-incredibly-naughty-cafeteria-ladies.htm
REVIEW BY JAMIE WHITFIELD
Fans have been anxiously awaiting this third "epic" of new adventures of this most unusual superhero. Dav Pilkey once again holds George Beard and Harold Hutchins, the incessant pamphlet writers and reluctant fourth graders at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, responsible for both creating the havoc that nearly destroys the world and for saving the world from said havoc and destruction.
They're the ones who decide to use the elements of a classroom experiment as part of a practical joke in the cafeteria, causing an explosion of goop which causes an exodus of the cafeteria ladies who are also angry about the way Harold and George depicted them in the latest edition of their comic strip, "Captain Underpants and the Night of the Living Lunch Ladys."
So George and Harold are responsible when the principal, needing new cafeteria ladies in a hurry, hires three large, heavily made-up women who, unbeknownst to all, are really evil guys from outer space. Thus begins the adventure part of the story, the part that requires the principal, Mr. Krupp, to turn into the superhero we've all been waiting for: Captain Underpants.
But Pilkey must take some responsibility. He is the one who gives grownups names like Miss Anthrope and Miss DePoint. He is the one responsible for the wonderfully rugged drawings that ensure those who look at illustrations as they read will be more aware of plot than will those who merely read text, and therefore won't be as surprised when the dandelion growing outside the school tries to devour the main characters. He's also responsible for The National Board of Boo-Boo Prevention's warning about the incredibly graphic flip-o-rama, which leaves anyone who follows directions howling with laughter.
Fans have been anxiously awaiting this third "epic" of new adventures of this most unusual superhero. Dav Pilkey once again holds George Beard and Harold Hutchins, the incessant pamphlet writers and reluctant fourth graders at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, responsible for both creating the havoc that nearly destroys the world and for saving the world from said havoc and destruction.
They're the ones who decide to use the elements of a classroom experiment as part of a practical joke in the cafeteria, causing an explosion of goop which causes an exodus of the cafeteria ladies who are also angry about the way Harold and George depicted them in the latest edition of their comic strip, "Captain Underpants and the Night of the Living Lunch Ladys."
So George and Harold are responsible when the principal, needing new cafeteria ladies in a hurry, hires three large, heavily made-up women who, unbeknownst to all, are really evil guys from outer space. Thus begins the adventure part of the story, the part that requires the principal, Mr. Krupp, to turn into the superhero we've all been waiting for: Captain Underpants.
But Pilkey must take some responsibility. He is the one who gives grownups names like Miss Anthrope and Miss DePoint. He is the one responsible for the wonderfully rugged drawings that ensure those who look at illustrations as they read will be more aware of plot than will those who merely read text, and therefore won't be as surprised when the dandelion growing outside the school tries to devour the main characters. He's also responsible for The National Board of Boo-Boo Prevention's warning about the incredibly graphic flip-o-rama, which leaves anyone who follows directions howling with laughter.
Wjitfield, Jamie. [Book review of Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Nerds) ] Retrieved from http://www.bookpage.com/9909bp/childrens/captain_underpants.html
Suggestions for library use: The pictures tell so much of the story so it would be exceedingly difficult to use this book for a storytime. The library could do a Dave Pilkey display and set up the books with information about the author. This book would also be a good suggestion to children who are reluctant to read. The crude humor is very attractive to children. The book would also be good in a comic book club or perhaps a class on maing your own comics. The book is a good example that one does not have perfect drawing to make an engaging story.
Draw Me A Star
by Eric Carle
Plot Summary: The book has no real narrative through line. An unnamed narrator asks a boy to draw a star, sun people, animals and eventually another star. The book begins and ends in the same spot, giving a circle of life theme that is not directly stated.
My Impression: I've never been a huge Eric Carle fan. For some reason his illustration style has never been that dynamic for me. The reason this book is banned or challenged at least, because there is a picture of a naked man and woman. However, the nudity is presented in an innocent light. The story never mentions nudity it is just there. The drawings themselves are not very detailed. You can see the distinguish the differences between the male and female form, but is in now way provocative or inappropriate. The only thing I can equate to the picture in the book is having naked pictures of your own kids.
That being said this book lacks the purpose of some of his books, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Caterpillar like others are interactive and creatively engage children with simple lessons that presented in such a playful manner they don't feel like work. I just don't see that in this book.
Review:
Draw Me A Star, written and illustrated by Eric Carle, the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is another cyclical book, and a good one to read at bedtime. An artist is asked by an unseen friend to draw a star. The star then asks the artist to draw the sun. The sun asks for a tree, and before long an entire universe has sprung up. Night falls, the moon rises, the moon asks for a star, and the circle is complete. Mr. Carle’s media are paint and collage. The book is wholly satisfying.”
- by Cynthia Zarin, The New Yorker, November 18, 1992
“A young boy is told (readers are not sure by whom) to “Draw me a star.” The star then requests that the boy draw it a sun; the sun asks for a “lovely tree,” and throughout his life the boy/man/artist continues to create images that fill the world with beauty. The moon bids the now-elderly artist to draw another star, and as the story ends, the artist travels “across the night sky” hand-in-hand with the star. This book will appeal to readers of all ages; its stunning illustrations, spare text, and simple story line make it a good choice for story hour, but older children will also find it uplifting and meaningful. Especially pleasing is a diagram within the story, accompanied by rhyming instructions on how to draw a star: “Down/over/left/and right/draw/a star/oh so/bright.” An inspired book in every sense of the word.”
- by Eve Larkin, School Library Journal, October, 1992
“During his youth, this gifted author-artist explains in his newest book’s afterward, his German grandmother would often draw him a star while chanting a nonsense rhyme. Taking that symbol as his foundation, Carle here creates a world pulsating with life and color—a world that bursts forth from “a good star” sketched by a young artist. This kaleidoscopic pentagram requests a sun from the artist’s pen; the sun asks for a tree, and so on until a man and woman are living happily among Carle’s characteristic collages—flora and fauna of all shapes, sizes and vivid hues. Meanwhile the artist, now a bearded old man, continues to draw and create. This unusual, practically plotless work seems to embody a personal scenario close to the artist’s heart. His unadorned language, pulsing with a hypnotic rhythm, adroitly complements the familiar naive artwork. Though some may be disturbed by similarities between Carle’s evolving world and the biblical creation story (the unclothed male and female figures, for example), this tale of imagination and creativity pays homage to the artist within all of us—and may well fire youngsters’ imaginations. Ages 4-up.”
- Publishers Weekly, September 7, 1992
- by Cynthia Zarin, The New Yorker, November 18, 1992
“A young boy is told (readers are not sure by whom) to “Draw me a star.” The star then requests that the boy draw it a sun; the sun asks for a “lovely tree,” and throughout his life the boy/man/artist continues to create images that fill the world with beauty. The moon bids the now-elderly artist to draw another star, and as the story ends, the artist travels “across the night sky” hand-in-hand with the star. This book will appeal to readers of all ages; its stunning illustrations, spare text, and simple story line make it a good choice for story hour, but older children will also find it uplifting and meaningful. Especially pleasing is a diagram within the story, accompanied by rhyming instructions on how to draw a star: “Down/over/left/and right/draw/a star/oh so/bright.” An inspired book in every sense of the word.”
- by Eve Larkin, School Library Journal, October, 1992
“During his youth, this gifted author-artist explains in his newest book’s afterward, his German grandmother would often draw him a star while chanting a nonsense rhyme. Taking that symbol as his foundation, Carle here creates a world pulsating with life and color—a world that bursts forth from “a good star” sketched by a young artist. This kaleidoscopic pentagram requests a sun from the artist’s pen; the sun asks for a tree, and so on until a man and woman are living happily among Carle’s characteristic collages—flora and fauna of all shapes, sizes and vivid hues. Meanwhile the artist, now a bearded old man, continues to draw and create. This unusual, practically plotless work seems to embody a personal scenario close to the artist’s heart. His unadorned language, pulsing with a hypnotic rhythm, adroitly complements the familiar naive artwork. Though some may be disturbed by similarities between Carle’s evolving world and the biblical creation story (the unclothed male and female figures, for example), this tale of imagination and creativity pays homage to the artist within all of us—and may well fire youngsters’ imaginations. Ages 4-up.”
- Publishers Weekly, September 7, 1992
[Book Review of Draw Me A Star] Retrieved from http://www.eric-carle.com/rev-DMAS.html
Publishers Weekly
During his youth, this gifted authorartist explains in his newest book's afterword, his German grandmother would often draw him a star while chanting a nonsense rhyme. Taking that symbol as his foundation, Carle here creates a world pulsating with life and color-a world that bursts forth from a good star sketched by a young artist. This kaleidoscopic pentagram requests a sun from the artist's pen; the sun asks for a tree, and so on until a man and woman are living happily among Carle's characteristic collages-flora and fauna of all shapes, sizes and vivid hues. Meanwhile the artist, now a bearded old man, continues to draw and create. This unusual, practically plotless work seems to embody a personal scenario close to the artist's heart. His unadorned language, pulsing with a hypnotic rhythm, adroitly complements the familiar naive artwork. Though some may be disturbed by similarities between Carle's evolving world and the biblical creation story (the unclothed male and female figures, for example), this tale of imagination and creativity pays homage to the artist within all of us-and may well fire youngsters' imaginations. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
During his youth, this gifted authorartist explains in his newest book's afterword, his German grandmother would often draw him a star while chanting a nonsense rhyme. Taking that symbol as his foundation, Carle here creates a world pulsating with life and color-a world that bursts forth from a good star sketched by a young artist. This kaleidoscopic pentagram requests a sun from the artist's pen; the sun asks for a tree, and so on until a man and woman are living happily among Carle's characteristic collages-flora and fauna of all shapes, sizes and vivid hues. Meanwhile the artist, now a bearded old man, continues to draw and create. This unusual, practically plotless work seems to embody a personal scenario close to the artist's heart. His unadorned language, pulsing with a hypnotic rhythm, adroitly complements the familiar naive artwork. Though some may be disturbed by similarities between Carle's evolving world and the biblical creation story (the unclothed male and female figures, for example), this tale of imagination and creativity pays homage to the artist within all of us-and may well fire youngsters' imaginations. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
Suggestions for Library Use: Like most Eric Carle books Draw Me a Star is a good book to read aloud. The library could make display of Eric Carle's work. The library could also have an rt activity of something the children would like to draw or simply try to mimic Carle's style.
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