Good Guys, Bad Guys

April 13, 2020
With droll exaggeration, the collaborators introduce an Odd Couple sibling pair whose personalities, as first limned, are polar opposites. Witness their divergent approaches to dental hygiene: one is “a bad guy,/ sniffly and slouchy,” whose “teeth are missing/ (hates to brush)—/ doesn’t really matter/ mostly eats mush.” The “good guy” sibling is pictured emerging “squeaky-clean” from a shower, toothbrush in motion: “Doesn’t eat sugar,/ loves vitamin A—/ teeth are brushed/ twelve times a day.” The two share robust imaginative powers, with feisty friends, who fall into either the bad guy or good guy camp, playing attendant roles. The bad guys are marauding pirates, one of whom makes another walk the plank into a backyard pool, while the good guys, crackerjack swimmers, practice their strokes. The crews interact when the good guys don capes to apprehend their nemeses, at odds at least until bedtime reveals a faux good vs. bad construct. Rocklin (Love, Penelope) offers jaunty verse whose energy is amplified with crayonlike mixed-media art by Carpenter (Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt), and both bolster the wry conclusion to this lighthearted tale. Ages 4–8.

April 17, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-This story is an engaging celebration of friendship and fun. Rhyming text depicts a sibling pair and their friends as they indulge in pretend play. At first, the sister is portrayed as a grouchy "bad guy" and her brother is described as the squeaky-clean "good guy." They head outside to play and are joined by a diverse group of companions from their neighborhood. The sister's cohorts, "wearing pirate clothes, patches on their eyes, warts on their toes," steal treasures from a basket of toys and then head to a backyard swimming pool. Meanwhile, the brother's pals get ready to jump in the pool and show off their skills. And so it goes, as the kids enjoy a busy day of pretend, until evening falls and it's time to go inside. As they get ready for bed, the tuckered-out siblings affably agree to switch roles in the morning. Packed with charming details and nonstop action, the artwork and bouncy text make clear that while they are momentarily designated as "good guys" or "bad guys," all of these kids are "great guys." The lively illustrations were created with charcoal, watercolor, and digital media. VERDICT A sunshine-filled ode to imagination.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.