The Mud Flat Olympics - Hardcover

Stevenson, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688129242 ISBN 13: 9780688129248

Publisher: Greenwillow, 1994

Synopsis

At the Mud Flat Olympics if the animals don't win the Deepest Hole Contest, the All-Snail High Hurdles, or the River-Cross Freestyle, they can still come to the picnic after the games and have ice cream for dessert

About this title

About the Author

James Stevenson's books for children have been universally welcomed by young and old alike.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Art and text work together beautifully in a goofy bit of entertainment that crackles with sly comedy. As animal athletes test their prowess in the Mud Flat Olympics, children have a chance to see friendship, fair play, and fun in action. In "The Deepest Hole Contest," the first of four laughable competitions, moles do their stuff while onlookers "see" who's ahead by putting their ears to the ground. In another match, snails tackle high hurdles with great deliberation; in a third, a variety of amiable beasts demonstrate swimming and sportsmanship. It's the "smelliest skunk contest" ("Mr. Tokay Wins Again"), however, that's truly unforgettable. Touched with the sort of comedy that makes Stevenson's books about the elderly Worst popular, this is a great example of the author-artist's mischievous verbal wit. It also shows off Stevenson's remarkable ability to turn splashes of watercolor and a few freewheeling ink lines into expressive cartoon characters. The impish humor won't be to everyone's taste, but the animal Olympians have a lot going for them--more than enough to leave a lot of kids laughing out loud. Stephanie Zvirin

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwillow
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688129242
• ISBN 13: 9780688129248
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 56