Review by Booklist Review
Here the creators of I Love You like a Pig (2017) kick off a series of level-one easy readers (this copublishes with Jack at Bat) starring a simply drawn cartoon monkey in a yellow shirt who makes Curious George look like a choir-primate. Living in a tree over a scrum of discarded trash, Jack waves a friendly hello to a gray-haired lady, then snatches her purse, and steals lipstick from it first to draw lips on himself and on dog Rex and then to tag Rex and the invitingly white walls of the lady's house with his name. Virtuous new readers will happily chime in on Barnett's large-type narrative, which is largely composed of repetitive judgments: Bad Jack! / Jack, you are bad. Step-by-step drawings for the three main characters at the end add an art lesson to this natural companion to Jack Gantos' Rotten Ralph books or Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty (2005).--Peters, John Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this promising beginning-reader series opener, Barnett and Pizzoli introduce a mischievous rabbit named Jack, a lady named "the Lady," and a dog named Rex. In the first of three stories, Jack "comes down from his tree to make a friend," then steals the Lady's purse and goes wild with her lipstick ("Bad Jack!... Jack, give her bag back"). "Rex! Why are your lips red? Your lips are bright red!" writes Barnett in the second tale, simultaneously using and poking fun at repetitive early reader language. Given Jack's lipstick-powered vandalism, readers will guess that the Lady's house shown in the third tale--"Here are her white walls. Here is her nice art" --won't stay pristine for long. Barnett works wonders with a limited vocabulary, packing the stories with humor, tension--and admonishments of Jack. Pizzoli's scruffy-edged, emotive cartoons are just as funny, and he carries the comedy into drawing lessons and closing endpapers. Yep, more lipstick is involved. Available simultaneously: Jack Blasts Off! Ages 4--8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.) Note: A previous review of this title ran in PW in December 2017; the book was subsequently pulled and retooled.
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Review by Horn Book Review
Jack at Bat by Mac Barnett; illus. by Greg PizzoliPrimary Viking 80 pp.Jack Blasts Off!by Mac Barnett; illus. by Greg PizzoliPrimary Viking 80 pp.Jack Goes Westby Mac Barnett; illus. by Greg PizzoliPrimary Viking 80 pp. gWe first meet Jack, a baseball-capped rabbit, as he waves hello, munches on snacks, andswipes a womans purse?! This initial encounter in Hi, Jack! sets the tone for the first four installments of Barnett and Pizzolis easy-reader series: a roller coaster of sour and sweet moments for Jack, his dog friend Rex, and the nameless Lady. (Once he returns her purse. And her lipstick.) Jack makes trouble wherever he goes, from the baseball field (Jack at Bat) to outer space (Jack Blasts Off!), and the direct-address narration instructs him to mend his ways (in a not-always-constructive manner: Jack, you are bad. You are a bad Jack. A bad, bad Jack). Barnett makes creative use of a limited and largely decodable vocabulary for comedic effect, which invites beginners to read with expression and confidence. Pizzolis illustrations, full of bold outlines and saturated colors, amplify the energy and dynamism in each story line. The text and illustrations work in tandem, sharing the weight of the narrative and blurring the lines between the picture book and easy reader genres while conforming to the physical specifications of the latter. This series promises an energetic romp through the good, the bad, and the bunny. Grace McKinneyJanuary/February 2020 p.85(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A bunny behaves badly. But is he all bad? In the first of three chapters, an unnamed narrator immediately breaks the fourth wall and introduces a bunny named Jack (presumably a jackrabbit, given his name). Ever the friendly, pizza-loving mammal, Jack waves a cheerful hello to readers. But the mood shifts when the Lady comes along. Jack descends from his treehouse to snatch the elderly human woman's purse. "Bad Jack!" scolds the narrator. "Jack, give that back!" Jack doesbut not before using the Lady's lipstick on himself! Subsequent chapters detail Jack's further misbehaviors involving a farm dog named Rex and another encounter with the Lady in her home. The interplay between Barnett's verbal and Pizzoli's visual humor results in rollicking surprises at almost every page turn. Repetition and a total word count of fewer than 90 words (at most 17 per page) provide ample support (and entertainment) to emerging readers. Pizzoli's technique combines firm black outlines, solid fill, and printlike backgrounds, creating textured, wonderfully expressive cartoon illustrations. Sequel Jack Blasts Off! publishes simultaneously and takes the duo's winning formula into an outer-space settingproving that good manners really do transcend species. Both books end with instructions on how to draw various characters. Adult readers may note that Jack's too-consistent wickedness combines with minimal consequences to send mixed messages.Bad bunny. (Mostly) good book. (Early reader. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
