The librarian from the black lagoon

K-Gr 2--You don't want to go to the library. Everyone knows that its the realm of "The Laminator," an ogre of a librarian who doesn't even let students breath while they're in her dangerous realm. Thinking of messing up the books? Not likely, since she bolts them to the shelves. Any kid caught whispering gets laminated, and you have to pass through a gum-detector to get inside. But the children are in for a surprise when they visit the library for the first time. Mike Thaler's humorous "Black Lagoon" series is always popular with youngsters and this title (Scholastic, pap. 1997) is no exception. Thaler's hilarious illustrations have been animated and augmented, and backed up with original music. A variety of voices add flavor to the production. This is not only a delightful introduction to the book, but librarians will welcome it as a great way to start the school year, introduce rules, and dispel myths about their own libraries.--Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

(Primary) A child fears his first class visit to the school library as he regales the reader with rumors of the nasty librarian and her frightening ways. Perfectly performed by Gould (Diary of a Worm; the voice of Disney's Nemo), this read-along book will be an instant hit. Sound effects add a touch of the gross with drips and snorts and gurgles, and the music, reminiscent of horror films (with a nod to Hitchcock), makes the story the tiniest bit scary. Page-turn signals are unobtrusive on track one, while track two has no signals, making this a perfect fit for both beginning readers and those who just want some listening fun. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.