Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem

Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem
by Mac Barnett
illustrated by Adam Rex
Disney Hyperion New York
2009
Picture Book

Billy has been told and told and told to clean his room, brush his teeth, and eat his peas. If he doesn't, his parents have threatened to buy him a blue whale. But Billy is not worried because he knows the blue whale is the largest animal in the world. It's not like it could be delivered to his house. However, one morning Billy feels something is looking at him through the kitchen window. Sure enough, his parents have finally bought the whale. And yes....it was delivered to his house.

Kids will have fun learning about all the dos and don'ts of blue whale care as Billy takes his new charge to school. Adam Rex's illustrations greatly enhance the story, which has a memorable surprise ending.

Comments

loo said…

I loved this book as well. The story was a little crazy at times but I laughed out loud. Also the illustrations were fantastic and hilarious as well. Definitely one of my favorites for the year!

July 18, 2009 at 11:15 AM

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: The Library in the Woods

The Library in the Woods Written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, 2025. Picture Book. I am always intrigued by picture books that tell stories from the past in beautiful and meaningful ways, leaving the reader educated, and also hopeful and inspired. This book definitely did that for me! The cover is a beautiful peek into the story waiting on the pages. Junior and his family have lived on a farm that is having a hard time producing what it needs to for the family to survive economically. The parents make the hard decision to move away from the farm and into the city. Junior misses a lot of things about his life in the country. However, when Junior's friends tell him about a library in the woods, things change for him in the best way! He is amazed by the seemingly endless collection of books, and is eager to check some out for his family. Junior excitedly borrows a few books, including one about a farmer for his dad ...

Review: Tumblebaby

Tumblebaby Written by Adam Rex Illustrated by Audrey Helen Weber New York : Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Picture book. I love a funky picture book. Slumbering Tumblebaby rolls out the door and into a wonderfully meandering yarn, thwarting scoundrels and coyotes, scaling unclimbable mountains, and even building a community center in Colorado City. Adam Rex's text reads like a folksy tall tale, punctuated by funny lines and rhyming chants. Weber's colorful, round illustrations feel a little Fauvist, a little cubist. It's a sort of "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" but in reverse - we learn in the last few pages that, in fact, that baby was YOU! This revelation made my young son gasp, which made me choke up. Tumblebaby is a surreal delight perfect for reading together.

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog