Rules of the House - Hardcover

Barnett, Mac

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1423185161 ISBN 13: 9781423185161

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016

Synopsis

Follow the rules.Brush your teeth.Make your bed.And nevereveropen the red door.
From the New York Times best-selling team of Mac Barnett and Matthew Myers comes a hilarious tale of sibling rivalry, moral complexity, and disgruntled monsters, perfect for sharing with your own favorite rulebreakers.

About this title

About the Author

Mac Barnett is the New York Times best-selling author of over twenty books for children, including Count the Monkeys, illustrated by Kevin Cornell; Chloe and the Lion, illustrated by Adam Rex; and Extra Yarn and Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, both illustrated by Jon Klassen, and both winners of a Caldecott Honor and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. He also writes the Terrible Two series with Jory John. Mac lives in Berkeley, California. Visit him at macbarnett.com.


Matt Myers studied at the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, where he majored in both fine arts and graphic arts. He has illustrated a number of books for children, including the Brixton Brothers series by Mac Barnett, Clink by Kelly DiPucchio, and the New York Times best seller Battle Bunny, by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett. Matt lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Visit him at myerspaints.com.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—Ian likes rules. His older sister Jenny does not. The woodsy vacation house where their family is spending the summer comes with a posted set of rules, including a prohibition against opening a certain red door. Naturally, Jenny ignores all the rules, even the one about the red door. Her defiant opening of this door during an argument with Ian changes the genre of the story from realistic to fantastical, as all the household devices whose rules she's ignored ("Remove muddy shoes before you enter the house") come alive, each claiming that it will have rule-breaking Jenny for dinner. As the errant rug and appliances chop vegetables and sing made-up songs, Ian saves the day by citing a rule that they themselves have broken, giving Jenny the opportunity to help scare the creatures away. An early page showing trails through the woods literally causes the plot to wander, but occasional pages featuring just one line of text add suspenseful pacing. Painterly illustrations quickly transform frightening images into comical ones, creating a mixture of silliness and creepiness—and alert viewers will notice the red eyes on the stove and rug just before they awaken. VERDICT A scary but silly sibling story about times when breaking the rules might just be okay. The perfect read to prepare for a stay at a vacation house.—Jill Ratzan, Congregation Kol Emet, Yardley, PA

About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1423185161
• ISBN 13: 9781423185161
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Myers Matt