The Snurtch

Starred review from May 23, 2016
Everyone has his or her demons. Ruthie’s is called the Snurtch, and he’s orange, scrawly like a crayon drawing, and resembles a cross between a lion, raccoon, and dinosaur. “The Snurtch is grabby and burpy and rude,” writes Ferrell, who, along with Santoso, explored another less-than-healthy relationship in I Don’t Like Koala (2015). The Snurtch also has little respect for authority figures (“When Teacher calls on Ruthie, the Snurtch threw her pencils”), but after Ruthie shares a portrait of her nemesis in class, the exercise triggers an epiphany: yes, the Snurtch is part of her, but it doesn’t control her. The Snurtch isn’t vanquished (nobody’s perfect), but with Ruthie’s new sense of self, it becomes a little more empathic, which vastly improves her feelings toward school. It’s beautifully true to life, and Santoso’s quick-tempered heroine, with her eloquent grimaces and pigtails that festoon her head like architectural detailing, is fully deserving of readers’ sympathies. And as the final pages make clear, Ruthie is hardly alone in having an attitude that can get a little beastly. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Janet Reid, FinePrint Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates.

Starred review from May 15, 2016
The Snurtch sits in Ruthie's seat at school, all furry, spiky, goofy, and googly-eyed, waiting--just as she expected.It hovers, pokes, and pants, orange hair and jagged mouth going every which way, getting the fair-skinned girl all mixed up in its misdeeds and bad behavior. It is "scribbly and scrunchy"; it's "grabby and burpy and rude." The other kids recoil. Children whose cheeks flush with quick anger and whose school days are riddled with frustration and regret will empathize deeply with Ruthie's helplessness at the hands of her Snurtch. And, looking at the Snurtch, which appears as a childlike drawing superimposed over polished, detailed illustrations of Ruthie, her school, and classmates, they might quickly see that Ruthie, in fact, misbehaves, since the Snurtch makes it all but impossible not to. While the Snurtch doesn't appear scary (it looks kind of silly), its perfect embodiment of overwhelming (and instantly regrettable) impulses borders on heart-wrenching. Every student harbors and battles a Snurtch, as readers see with relief on the final pages of this clever, pertinent book, but some have bigger, more monstrous ones than others. Ruthie's dark brow, set mouth, and hooded eyes make clear the weighty burden she carries around like a backpack. Original in its visual and linguistic presentation of behavioral problems, this important call for understanding should sit on library, classroom, and bedrooms shelves--the high ones, just above a Snurtch's reach. (Picture book. 2-8)

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July 1, 2016

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

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Grades K-2 Ruthie resolutely marches into her classroom, pigtails in angry puffs, to find her old nemesisthe Snurtchalready seated at her desk. This fiery, scribbly creature is the bane of her existence. It causes her to trip, make rude noises, throw pencils, and even destroy George's drawing. Yet Ruthie gets blamed for it all. During art class, she takes matters into her own hands and draws a portrait of the invisible troublemaker, which stands behind her like a shadow. Her classmates immediately recognize the disruptive Snurtch, and Ruthie comes to realize that she's not the only one with such a companion. After acknowledging this part of herself, Ruthie begins to take control of her behavior (mostly). The creators of I Don't Like Koala (2015) here take on another childhood challenge with their signature quirkiness. Santoso's hysterical illustrations expertly capture the children's open expressions and the wild antics of the Snurtches. While the exact nature of the Snurtch remains a little murky, most kids will identify with having a fidgety, mischievous monster inside.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)