Review by Booklist Review
Catering both to pun lovers and the sesquipedalian crowd, Crute pairs a string of indignant animals with colorful and cleverly relevant synonyms for common words. "I've been HORNSWOGGLED!" bellows a deer who discovers that one antler has been replaced by a tennis racket. "What a load of CODSWALLOP!" exclaims a catfish whose eyeglasses are exchanged for donuts. Likewise, boots transformed into swim fins leave a buffalo "BUFFALOED!" while a rooster finds his written speech replaced by toilet paper ("POPPYCOCK!") and pungent private eye Pierre Moufette is "SKUNKED!" by the theft of his thinking cap. Whodunit? Why, the sly fox, of course--but in preening over his skill at switcheroos, he ultimately finds himself (wait for it) "OUTFOXED!" by the lowly armadillo who's been popping up in the corners of Harney's cartoon brouhahas. The definitions aren't always helpful ("Outwit means to outsmart"), and probably superfluous anyway since the meanings are clear enough in context. Still, the words are fun to say, and some have a rich history for readers willing to dig a little deeper.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--Looking for a title to inspire young writers to add some zing to their writing? Trying to make the point that a broad vocabulary can make life more exciting, zestful, and engaging? Look no further than the mystery in the forest that is this hilarious title. Deer wakes up to find that one of his antlers has been replaced with a tennis racket. He's been hornswoggled! A helpful placard is held up to define hornswoggled and the game is afoot. One creature after another finds themselves the victim of theft (the catfish has been codswalloped, a bison has been buffaloed). Finally a clever detective with a nod to Hercule Poirot arrives only to find that he, too, has been outfoxed by the thief of the forest. Laugh-out-loud funny illustrations join with a witty text to make a mystery forest romp an engaging offering, encouraging all who read it to broaden their vocabularies. This title would make a great read-aloud for older elementary students who enjoy puns and witty wordplay. VERDICT Highly recommended this book is a delightful tribute to thesaurus use and rich vocabulary.--John Scott, Baltimore Cty. P. S.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Absurd words have a field day. Deer wakes one day to discover that one of his antlers is missing--and has been replaced by a tennis racket. He's been "hornswoggled!" He seeks aid from Catfish, who reaches for her glasses to better see what's happening--and in turn finds that they've been replaced by two doughnuts (with sprinkles). "What a load of codswallop!" The pair troops over to other pals, all of whom discover to their annoyance that their belongings have also been stolen and replaced with nonsensical items. Each friend declares itself the victim of "poppycock," "hogwash," "horsefeathers," and other dastardly offenses. When a skunk detective with a Belgian accent offers help but realizes his deerstalker has been replaced by a slice of pie, frenetic scurrying about ensues--until the culprit and purloined items are located. The thief has the effrontery to boast of her skill at fooling everyone, but there's one final trick to be played….Kids will savor the silliness of this vocabulary-boosting treat, love rolling their tongues around goodies like bamboozled, and look for opportunities to use them. The targeted fun words are printed in boldface throughout and defined via explanatory signs (held up by an armadillo) on the pages where they occur or nearby. Some unfamiliar words or phrases go unexplained but should be understood through context. Droll cartoon illustrations match the expressive animal characters' comic shenanigans. No snake oil here--just great fun. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
