The Devil You Know - Hardcover

Hale, Nathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802789811 ISBN 13: 9780802789815

Publisher: Walker Childrens, 2005

Synopsis

Be careful what you wish for . . .

The Fell Family has a small problem--a little devil that lives in their house. He does all sorts of bad things, and the Fells are fed up. When the prim and proper Ms. Phisto mysteriously appears and offers to remove the little devil and come take his place, the Fells are all too happy.

But trading in one small problem for something else might just get you a very, very BIG problem. People often say, "You're better off with the devil you know than with the devil you don't." And maybe there's some truth in that.

With wildly inventive illustrations, and zany humor, this picture book brings a familiar adage to life in unexpected ways.

About this title

About the Author

Nathan Hale is a freelance illustrator whose work appears regularly in Cricket magazine. He lives in Provo, Utah, in the Ozark highlands, with his wife and young son. This is his first book.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4–A small–but naughty–devil lives in the Fells's house. When the family finally gets fed up with his infuriating antics, they call on Ms. Phisto, who specializes in minor-demon removal and light housekeeping. Dressed in a prim skirt and jacket that perfectly match her green wings, horns, and tail, the tiny lady is a bit Mary Poppins and a bit Mephistopheles. She forces the Fells to sign a contract: she will make the pesky creature disappear and then move into their home in his place. However, when she unpacks her numerous boxes (containing demons of all shapes and sizes), does some redecorating (installing a lake of fire and brimstone in the kitchen), and shows a bit of temper, the Fells discover that When you trade the devil you know for the devil you don't, you just might get burned. The clever ending has the humans reunited with their original fiend and living happily ever after on an Acapulco beach. The brief text keeps the action moving quickly, while the story's details are fleshed out in the amusing acrylic artwork. Relying heavily on shades of pickle green and hot-dog red, the paintings have a flat, almost retro look. Hale creates a cast of colorful and not-too-frightening devils and fills the pictures with details that demand close viewing. The exasperated expressions on the family members' faces add to the fun. This spirited romp will appeal to readers who are not afraid of a little magic and mayhem.–Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0802789811
• ISBN 13: 9780802789815
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 32