Pepper Springfield

I have mixed feelings about this title. Despite the less-than-stellar reviews, I requested it specifically because this year I have a population of very young kids with high reading levels (a three year old who reads chapter books, etc.).

The Bobs are a family of slobs (all except for Bob Seven). They are kicked out for being so messy and noisy and quick-thinking real-estate agent Mo sells them a new house on Bonefish Street. At the same time, the Tweets, a family of obsessive cleaners, are show more looking for a new home as well. Except for Tweet Seven. She's untidy, lazy, and doesn't like to participate in all the organized activities of the Tweets. Once again, Mo sells a house on Bonefish Street. When the two families meet at the pool, a wild fight ensues! Will there every be a peaceful solution? Maybe. Sort of.

The Seuss-inspired art is colorful and cartoonish, showing the wacky and eccentric Blobs and the super-tidy Tweets. Silly details like Tweet Seven's Pretty Kitty and Bob Seven's carefully organized wardrobes point up their differences in their own families. The story is written in brisk rhyme that sometimes falters unsteadily or hits bumps. More troubling is the small type; for a book aimed at beginning chapter readers, the smaller, faint type will be the most difficult aspect of the book.

There isn't a really strong plot here, or much of a plot at all. None of the characters have personalities beyond their outward appearance and the Seven's sudden friendship seems unrealistic. Sometimes the art doesn't completely match up with the text, as on the odd frowns on the Tweets' faces on the last page.

Verdict: While this isn't a first choice for beginning chapter books and is unlikely to appeal to older children, younger, strong readers may enjoy the light-hearted goofiness in this homage to Dr. Seuss.

ISBN: 9780545870726; Published 2016 by Scholastic; Review copy provided by the publisher show less

{My thoughts} – This is a fun book about making friends in unexpected places. Lou Tweet and Dean Bob are out for Halloween. They are going house to house and marking what they get at each house they stop. They have their dog and cat with them and something scares the animals. They end up at a new house, with new people that they haven’t gotten to know yet. They learn the boy there isn’t participating in Halloween, because he has no costume to wear and they are new to town. They help show more him make a costume and take him out trick or treating with them.

In the end they have made a great friend and that is what they put as the treat from Sal’s house. They all have a party at the Bob’s house and enjoy the rest of the night.

I really do like these books. They rhymes in them flow nicely. My three year-old sat in my lap while I read some of this one to her, she kept pointing at stuff on the pages and waiting for me to tell her what things were, but she really enjoyed being told what was what when she was pointing. I look forward to reading and sharing these books with her again when she is a little older. show less

{My thoughts} – There are seven Tweets and seven Bobs. One is not like the other in their family. The Tweets are all very nice and neat, whereas one is a mess. The Bobs are all slobs, whereas one is nice and neat.

The Bobs and the Tweets are looking for a new place to live. They both end up on the same street as neighbors. They were misled, but in the end things turn out alright. The one Bob and the one Tweet that are different from the rest end up becoming friends with one another. In a show more sense, you’d like to think opposites do in fact attract.

I enjoyed reading through this book. It is nicely illustrated and the story is silly and fun. I can’t wait until my little ones are old enough for me to share this series with them in the future. I am sure they will enjoy it! In the meantime, I look forward to reading the next book in the series very soon! show less

I received this book free in exchange for my honest review.

I just got this book in the mail last night and my daughter of course wanted to read it for a bedtime story. The book I got was an uncorrected proof so I am sure that explains why it abruptly goes to black and white. I loved the rhyming in this book and I liked that it was a chapter book. It broke everything up into nice neat chapters and told quite the story about the teacher and her 6 pets along with everyone else's pets. The show more pictures were drawn very well and my daughter of course had to comment that you shouldn't be doing some of the things the animals did such as food fights. I loved the expansive vocab that was included to introduce my daughter to new words and what they mean. From an adult point of view I felt that some of the sections weren't written as nicely as others. They didn't flow as well as others and that is the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5. This was a great book all in all and I think any child aged 3 and up would enjoy it. My 4 year old loved it and has requested it be read again tonight. show less