Jon Agee

The Wimbeldon family find that sleep is a precious commodity indeed in this humorous picture-book, as their dog Stanley continually wakes them from their slumber one night. From howling at the moon - "I don't recognize the tune" says Walter the father - to fixing the drain, Stanley seems to be getting up to quite a bit. By the time the Wimbledons realize that their rest has been interrupted too many times for them to get back to sleep, Stanley, whose actions are anything but random, has show more launched them on an extraordinary journey. But why does he want to go to the moon...?

A sweet little fantasy, one featuring an amusing story told in rhyme and droll artwork that captures both the Wimbledons' bewilderment and Stanley's determination, It's Only Stanley would make an excellent read-aloud selection at bedtime. I particularly liked Max the cat's involvement, detailed mostly in the illustrations, as he finds himself drenched during Stanley's "drain cleaning," and his tail singed from Stanley's "TV repair." The conclusion of the story, in which Stanley finally reaches his objective, is as satisfying as it is amusing. Recommended to young children who enjoy stories with a bit of surreal humor in them. show less

I admire the sheer audacity of the stunt Jon Agee is pulling here: a graphic novel written entirely in palindromes. I love the wordplay enough to offset the fact that 90% of the book is basically a dream sequence in order to cover the absurdity of what must happen to have many of the lines make any sort of sense.

I do wonder about how the main character enters this state over a bowl of soup. Is he hypnotized by the ripples? Is he having hallucinations triggered by a momentary seizure in his show more brain? Has mom accidentally served him her intended bowl of soup that has been spiked with an mega dose of "mother's little helper?" Will we get an answer? "No sir — away! A papaya war is on," responds the book. show less

When Eugene wins a cruise to Bermuda, his response - "Terrific... I'll probably get a really nasty sunburn" - epitomizes his entire approach to life. When his ship goes down, and he is stranded on a tiny desert island, our grouchy hero's chorus of "terrifics" indicate that such catastrophe is only what he expected. What he doesn't expect, however, is Lenny the talking parrot, who instructs him in ship-building, setting in motion the duo's escape...

Since reading such picture-books as It's show more Only Stanley and The Other Side of Town, I have become an admirer of author/artist Jon Agee, whose dead-pan sense of humor never fails to entertain me. I was therefore pleased to learn that Terrific, originally published in 2005 and subsequently out-of-print, had been reprinted in this new 2017 edition. Good news, as it is a wonderfully entertaining book, with all the understated, oddball humor I was expecting, and its creator's signature cartoon-style artwork. The surprise ending is the icing on the cake! Recommended to all my fellow Jon Agee fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about attitude (positive or negative). show less

A tiny knight celebrates the existence of the wall that stands in the middle of this new picture-book from author/illustrator Jon Agee, convinced that it is protecting him from the dangerous creatures on the other side. Little does he realize that the rising water on his own side, and the dangerous creature it brings, pose more of a threat. Fortunately, those on the other side of the wall are not as ungenerous as the knight...

As a long-time fan of Agee's picture-books, I was quite excited to show more see The Wall In the Middle of the Book when it came into work. The subject matter feels very topical, given the national debate here in the states regarding immigration and building walls along the border, and I would assume that this tale represents a direct response to those issues on the part of its creator. That said, it can also be read as a meditation on the stifling power of fear in general, how our worries about the unknown possibilities can lead us to overlook more immediate, real dangers. Although I enjoyed this one, and appreciated its implicit messages, somehow I didn't find it quite as entertaining as I'd expected to, given that it is an Agee title. The hilarity of some of his other tales is missing here, although I do think young reader/listeners will enjoy being able to see the "whole picture" in ways that the knight cannot. Recommended to Jon Agee fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books addressing the theme of fear, separation and the unknown. show less