Recess

Ever the troublemaker, Smith stages a jubilant, eye-popping, and highly interactive mutiny against the tyranny of strictly scheduled fun, declaring recess an anytime, anywhere affair. When pedagogical fatigue strikes ("I mean, you all look like you could use a recess this minute"), triumphant lines prescribe immediate rebellion in the form of a break: "RECESS! Everyone, shake your hands! Everyone, shake your legs! Everyone, shake your booty!" Mixed-media artwork that brings to mind Paul Klee in the throes of a sugar high combines with unleashed typography to offer a recess prescription for every academic scenario. And while some structure is imposed on the outbursts (each vignette concludes with "End of RECESS"), the narrator does seem at least occasionally taken aback by the aftermath ("I did not think there would be so much booty shaking"). It's a playful work that suggests an effective educational strategy can consist of knowing when to momentarily abandon ship. Characters are portrayed with a range of fanciful colors. Ages 4--8. (July)

The essence of a school-day recess is siphoned down into pure joyous chaos. Before tapping into the kinetic energy of a classic "red light, green light" game, Smith begins with an acknowledgment that while school is "pretty fun," once in a while "we need a break from all that fun, right?" As he introduces different school subjects, he somehow always finds a way to end his descriptions of gym, spelling, and even math with a cry of "RECESS!" During these interludes, he encourages young readers to shake their booties, quack like ducks, stomp their feet, bounce invisible balls, and do any number of other loud things--until the fun abruptly ends, and it's back to more schoolwork. The triumphant finish invites readers to take part in all these activities at once in a riot of color and movement. This interactive explosion of a book bursts off the page, engulfing young listeners in its inescapable exuberance. The read-aloud potential is high, with the intrusive narrator providing hilariously disapproving commentary while also egging readers on. The characters are awash in bright hues and tones; Smith uses geometric shapes for many of the children's facial features. If B.J. Novak'sThe Book With No Pictures (2014) were smushed into Jon Scieszka and Smith'sThe Stinky Cheese Man (1992), this might well be the result. Wilder than any rumpus, this recess isn't just a break--it's silliness incarnate!(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.