The Snurtch - Hardcover

Ferrell, Sean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1481456563 ISBN 13: 9781481456562

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016

Synopsis

Some days are Snurtch days. Ruthie is having one of those.

Ruthie has a problem at school.

It is not the students. It is not the classroom. It is not the reading or the writing or the math. It is something scribbly, scrunchy, grabby, burpy, and rude. It is the Snurtch.

From the team behind I Don’t Like Koala, this clever picture book takes a discerning look at the challenges of behaving and controlling your emotions—especially when your own personal monster keeps getting in the way.

About this title

About the Author

Sean Ferrell is the author of two novels for adults, Numb and Man in the Empty Suit. He has since grown up and started writing for children, too. His picture book I Don’t Like Koala was published by Atheneum in 2015, and The Snurtch, also from Atheneum, was published in 2016. He lives and works, in no particular order, in Brooklyn. Visit Sean online at SeanFerrell.com.

Charles Santoso loves drawing little things in his little journal. He gathers inspiration from his childhood memories and curiosities he discovers in his everyday travels. He has illustrated several picture books, including The Snurtch, I Don’t Like Koala, Finding Muchness, and Ida, Always. Charles also works as a visual development artist, creating illustrations for feature film projects. He lives and works in Singapore. You can visit him at CharlesSantoso.com.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—Ruthie has a problem at school. It's not her classmates or her teachers or even the work she has to do—it's the Snurtch. A large, dinosaurlike orange monster, the Snurtch shadows Ruthie's every move and forces her into disruptive, rude, and mean behavior such as burping, throwing pencils, and even destroying a classmate's artwork. Ruthie is unable to get a handle on her Snurtch until one day, during art class, she stares him down and is able to capture his likeness in a drawing. She shares her picture with her classmates, who immediately offer forgiveness and understanding, and her life at school starts to look up. Her Snurtch is still with her, but she has more success taming it and even comes to learn that other students have Snurtches as well. Ferrell's clear, succinct prose will appeal to kids, but the story's overarching metaphor will go right over the heads of the story's intended audience, who will see it as a straightforward monster story. Parents and educators may also feel frustrated with Ruthie's explanation for her bad behavior, i.e., "It wasn't me, it was the Snurtch." Still, Santoso's delightful depictions of wild-eyed monsters wreaking havoc in school will delight preschoolers. VERDICT A flawed but entertaining addition for larger library collections.—Kristy Pasquariello, Wellesley Free Library, MA

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1481456563
• ISBN 13: 9781481456562
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Santoso Charles
• Number of pages: 40