Skip to main content

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors



The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
By Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Adam Rex
Balzer + Bray, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. Picture Book.

Rock was sad. He was the toughest warrior in the Kingdom of Backyard. Nobody could beat him—which made him sad. The fact that there wasn’t another warrior who could match his skill was just depressing. Meanwhile in the Empire of Mom’s Home Office another warrior named Paper was conquering everyone. There wasn’t another warrior in the Empire that could match the skill of Paper—and this made him sad as well. He wished that there was someone who could give him a challenge. Finally in the Kitchen Realm (“in the tiny village of Junk Drawer”) there was a warrior named Scissors. She again was sad that there wasn’t a warrior who could beat her. It was frustrating to always be able to predict that she would win.

Thankfully all three warriors met in the great cavern of Two-Car Garage. There they can all commence in an epic battle that will prove if they are indeed the greatest of all warriors (or not)! And this is the reason why children all around the world play the game “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. Plus with one adversary that could always beat them, all three warriors lived happily ever after.

So, I think I could go on and on and on about this book. It is clever. It is funny. It is memorable. The text is well crafted (which is what I would expect from the author of The Day the Crayons Quit). And the illustrations are perfect in that they depict the specific warriors (and the other random objects found around the house) and their personalities. Basically, this is one of my new favorites that I think should become a regular part of family bedtime readings (as well as family game night). Love it!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Fresh Start

Fresh Start By Gale Galligan New York: Graphix, 2025. Graphic novel. 270 pages. Ollie Herisson is only in 7th grade, but she has already lived all over the world. Her father is an American diplomat, whose job has taken their family to France, Singapore, Thailand (where her mom is from), and now to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie loves that her family doesn't stay in one place very long, it allows her to have a fresh start and hide from any embarrassing moments each time they move. But Ollie's parents have big news -- they've decided to buy a house in Virginia and put down roots. Now, Ollie and her younger sister Cat have to figure out how to build lasting friendships which means resolving conflict rather than running away when things get hard.  Loosely based on the author's own childhood experiences, this graphic novel is sure to be popular with readers who like coming of age stories. Watching Ollie learn to think of others as she advocates for her sister Cat, and navig...

Review: Will's Race for Home

  Willl's Race for Home  By Jewell Parker Rhodes Little Brown & Company, 2025. Fiction. 256 pages.    Will is a young man whose father and family are working the land as sharecroppers in Texas. When Will's father comes home with the news that there is land available in Oklahoma to those who can stake and settle it, Will's father expresses his deep desire to go and claim land for their family. Will begs to be included, but his mother is reluctant to let him go. After input from the entire family, they decide that Will is ready for the responsibility. Along the way Will and his father develop a deeper appreciation for each other, form deep friendship, discover hidden enemies, and encounter many challenges which force them to make difficult decisions. Will's father has to rely heavily on him, especially as they get closer to their final destination. Will's bravery is inspiring and commendable.  This book is full of many amazing elements: suspense, adventure, fr...