Excellent Ed - Hardcover

McAnulty, Stacy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553510231 ISBN 13: 9780553510232

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2016

Synopsis

Dog lovers will adore this imperfect yet endearing mutt and his quest for excellence!

***Winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor Award!***
 
Everyone in the Ellis family is excellent--except Ed.
 
Ed wonders if this is why he isn’t allowed to eat at the table or sit on the couch with the other children. So he’s determined to find his own thing to be excellent at--only to be (inadvertently) outdone by a family member every time.
 
Now Ed is really nervous--what if he’s not excellent enough to belong in this family?
 
This funny and endearing story offers a subtle look at sibling rivalry and self esteem, and will reassure kids that everyone is excellent at something, and that your family loves you, just as you are.

Praise for Excellent Ed:

"A dog lover’s delight." —School Library Journal

"In Julia Sarcone-Roach’s joyful, expressive paintings, we see Ed pondering how to demonstrate excellence. The answer is excellent, and entirely endearing." —The Wall Street Journal

“A warm, welcome reminder that everyone is excellent at something.” —Kirkus Reviews starred review

“In a word? Excellent.” —The Horn Book starred review

About this title

About the Author

Stacy McAnulty is the author of The Dino Files series, Dear Santasaurus, Beautiful,and 101 Reasons Why I'm Not Taking a Bath. She grew up outside of Albany, NY but now lives in North Carolina with her husband, three children, and her two excellent dogs.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—Alliteration is key in this energetic book. Readers are introduced to the Ellis family members, whose names all begin with an E (Elaine, Emily, Elmer, etc.), including Ed, the Ellis's beloved dog. Ed notices that all of the Ellis children shine at something (soccer, math, ballet); however, he has difficulty discovering where his talent lies. He tries some naughty skills like "breaking stuff" and "losing things," but he never seems as accomplished as the rest of the family. His sadness dissipates after he is reminded by the children how much he excels at welcoming them home and warming their feet as they gather together at the end of the day. This is a diverse family with calming expressions that are illustrated well through the use of soft crayons and pencils, surrounded by gentle brushstrokes of light green and muted yellow. School librarians may enjoy reading this aloud, as it can spark wonderful discussions regarding pets, a favorite topic of children and adults alike. VERDICT A dog lover's delight, this sweet and simple title will be an excellent addition for most school and public libraries.—Maria Alegre, The Dalton School, New York City

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553510231
• ISBN 13: 9780553510232
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Sarcone-Roach Julia
• Number of pages: 32