Underpants on My Head

March 1, 2009
Gr 2-3-Eight-year-old Cleo Small and her family, first introduced in Uh-oh, Cleo (Putnam, 2008), are vacationing in Colorado. Since the family has six kids, the trip is understandably full of chaos and typical sibling squabbles. Upon arriving at Grandma's house, Cleo, her two oldest siblings, and their parents depart to climb Mount Baldy. A freak snowstorm at the top leads them to use their spare undergarments as hats, and the siblings find they have to work together to make it down safely. Cleo's chatty narration and Berkeley's warm black-and-white illustrations will appeal to early chapter-book readers. Although the action is a little late in getting started, the opening sentence ("Two things you hardly ever see are snow in summer and underpants on my head") easily sells the book. Reading the first title isn't necessary, though it may help youngsters to make sense of Cleo's large family. Sure to be in demand where Uh-oh, Cleo is popular.Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2009
Grades K-3 Eight-year-old Cleo Small and her not-so-small family return for an unforgettable family trip to Colorado. Theres an airplane ride, a stop at Grams, and a hike with the family up Mount Baldy, where it snows in August. Cleo describes it all in a straightforward and believable voice, revealing her impatience with her older sister, JennaMiss Boss of the Worldand surprising sympathy when Jenna collapses with a cold and Cleo becomes Boss of Jenna. This episodic chapter book companion to Uh-oh, Cleo (2008) shares the first books gentle humor and familiar family dynamics, and is similarly illustrated with Berkeleys occasional gray-scale pen-and-ink sketches.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
In her second outing, Cleo describes a hiking trip with her family involving "two things you hardly ever see...snow in summer and underpants on my head." Nine short chapters with frequent illustrations tell a family story that's got adventure, humor, and just a touch of suspense. Young readers who, like Cleo, enjoy realistic fiction (i.e., "regular stuff") will look forward to future tales.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2009
In her second outing in the Uh-Oh, Cleo series, Cleo describes a hiking trip with her family involving "two things you hardly ever see...snow in summer and underpants on my head." It's a great opening line, sure to grab second graders and get them reading. The rest of the book continues to be easy to stick with: nine short chapters with frequent illustrations tell a family story that's got adventure, humor, and just a touch of suspense. Though Cleo is one of the oldest of six kids, she still gets bossed around plenty by her big sister Jenna; when she gets a chance to be the boss of Jenna during a sudden snowstorm on the mountain, Cleo handles her new power admirably. She closes the book by musing on other stories she has in her head; readers who, like her, prefer realistic fiction (i.e., "regular stuff") to fantasy will look forward to future tales about Cleo Small and her big family.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)