Jumpy Jack & Googily. Meg Rosoff & Sophie Blackall - Softcover

Meg Rosoff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014150241X ISBN 13: 9780141502410

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2009

Synopsis

Meet Jumpy Jack, a very nervous snail who is afraid of monsters, and Googily who is a very good friend indeed. Wherever they go, Googily kindly checks high and low just to make sure there are no scary monsters about. But, as every child knows, monsters come in many shapes and sizes. Some are even blue with hairy eyebrows and pointy teeth.

About this title

About the Author

Meg Rosoff is the celebrated author of How I Live Now, winner of the Guardian Fiction Award. Her second book Just in Case won the Carnegie Medal. Sophie Blackall has illustrated several books, including Ruby's Wish, for which she was awarded the Ezra Jack Keats Award, among other honours. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—Jumpy Jack is a snail with buck teeth and a paralyzing fear of monsters. His friend Googily is a round, blue creature with sharp teeth, wild eyebrows, tentacle-like fingers, a bowler hat, and a kind heart. As they make their way home through a sunlit landscape, Jumpy Jack repeatedly stops and asks his friend to check for monsters before they proceed. Googily patiently complies, and there is much visual humor in the contrast between his large features looming up from behind windows and doors ("No monsters here! Or here!") and the snail's relieved response: "Phew!" This contrast also highlights the irrationality of Jumpy Jack's fears, and the power of a trusted friend to allay them. At the end of the day, the pals settle down to sleep, and it's Jack's turn to reassure Googily. The interplay between the two creates a wonderfully safe space for children to explore their fears. Youngsters will quickly pick up on the repetition, and the story may provide an opportunity for them to discuss their own "monsters." The text, which consists entirely of dialogue, employs a formal elevated tone that gently chides Jumpy Jack's childish fears, adding an element of dry humor. The illustrations are filled with whimsical details, from Googily's dapper wardrobe to the characters' matching dolls. The calm, slightly muted palette, along with the friendly expressiveness of the protagonists' faces, sends the subtle message that there is truly nothing here to fear.—Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, Salisbury, MD
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Edition details

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 014150241X
• ISBN 13: 9780141502410
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32