Double Trouble in Walla Walla

September 1, 1997
In this breathlessly verbose tale, a rash of compound nonsense words infects an elementary school. Student Lulu exhibits the first symptom when she complains, "My homework is all higgledy-piggledy. Last night it was in tip-top shape, but now it's a big mish-mash." Her teacher scolds, "Lulu, stop that flip-flop chitter-chatter or you'll be in double trouble!" and drags her off to the principal's office. The principal hasn't a clue ("holy-moly!"), and the nurse fears an epidemic ("If we're not very, very hush-hush about this, there could be a mongo-mongo brain-drain and everybody in Walla Walla will be talking like a herky-jerky ding-a-ling!"). Clements breaks the verbal fever with a brainstorm of rhythmic silliness, from "Hee-haw, tweet-tweet, chirp-chirp, cheep-cheep" to "boogie-woogie bow-wow, super-duper pooper-scooper!" As the tension escalates, Murdocca's (The Monsters' Test) pictures grow more cacophonous. Text tilts sideways and upside-down as the caricaturish people ricochet around the nurse's office; multicolored words, variably sized typefaces and voice bubbles crowd the air. At last, calm is restored--or is it? The teacher bids farewell on the final page saying, "Ta-ta, Lulu." Children with a fondness for wordplay may delight in this dizzying romp, but others may find the rhyme and onomatopoeia a disappointing substitute for plot. Ages 5-8.

January 1, 1998
Gr 1-3-Adults may find this book fun to read aloud. The simple plot revolves around a young girl who is sent to the principal's office when she can't stop speaking in hyphenated slang words; e.g., higgledy-piggledy, mish-mash, nit-wit, etc. As it turns out, her teacher, the school nurse, and the principal seem to come down with the same affliction and, before finding a solution, run through a veritable compendium of hyphenated words and nonsense phrases, most of which rhyme. Those reading aloud should prepare themselves for the inevitable outpouring of similar words from the audience. Murdocca's bled double-page, lively watercolors on oversized pages are chockablock with cartoon characters and details to pore over, adding even more humor to the amusing story. Side-splitting fun.-Barbara McGinn, Oak Hill Elementary School, Severna Park, MD