The Book of Bad Ideas

September 4, 2000
First time author-illustrator Huliska-Beith is so sure that every youngster hatches such plans as "bringing home a cute, cuddly, stray animal" or "jumping off the high dive to show off your itsy-bitsy bathing suit" that she relishes listing good ideas gone bad (in no particular order) from her own childhood in this playfully wacky picture book. From "Bad Idea #98: Cramming something into a tight space without knowing if you can get it back out" (she pictures a child with a goldfish bowl on his head, another with a lima bean up his nose) to "Bad Idea #828: Throwing a surprise party for your imaginary friend," Huliska-Beith's wry look at such simultaneously embarrassing and hilarious moments will have readers cracking up. A crew of kids, parents, pets and innocent bystanders cavorts across the high-energy spreads, each scene a comic melange of acrylic paint, fabric and cut-paper collage. At every turn, arms flail, kids wail and eyeballs roll amidst such backdrops as flying ice cream or marching ants that take over show-and-tell. After this romp, both kids and adults may well be ready to share some of their "bad" ideas, too. All ages.