PreS-Gr 2–Stanley Birdbaums delight over his designation as star of the week–his turn to share his favorite things–fades quickly. His classmates dont like his tofu bologna, cream cheese, and pickle sandwiches. His toy robot falls apart as Stanley tries to display its tricks. Polly Seedeaters negative comments so unnerve him that he almost cant demonstrate his artistic talents. Fortunately, some heartening words from his best friend give Stanley the encouragement he needs to turn a squiggle into a funny drawing and start a class fad. Saltzbergs amusing illustrations and clean design enhance the books read-aloud potential. The spread of Stanleys panicked expression before he has to draw in front of the class perfectly captures the stage fright that almost everyone has experienced. Those who enjoyed Stanleys first outing, Crazy Hair Day (Candlewick, 2003) will welcome this return visit to Mr. Wingers classroom. However, this new book can also stand on its own as an exploration of familiar school interactions.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

K-Gr. 2. Stanley rejoices when his turn finally arrives: as “star of the week,” he will share his favorite food, his favorite toy, and his favorite activity with the class. But sadly, no one shares his enthusiasm for tofu bologna, cream cheese, jelly, and pickles on pumpernickel, and his decrepit toy robot is a flop. The third day looks like another disaster when Stanley begins to draw on the blackboard and suddenly freezes up, but he earns his classmates' admiration with his imaginative squiggle drawings. The emotional arc between high-flying expectations and low-riding reality is familiar territory to elementary-school students, who will empathize with Stanley's plight and enjoy his hard-earned success and acceptance. Varied in size and perspective, Saltzberg's simple but expressive artwork in pencil, ink, and acrylics creates Stanley's world with warmth and keen attention to detail, while the satisfying story creates a believable dilemma for this highly sympathetic character. Great for reading aloud, this will inspire plenty of creative “squiggle drawings” among its audience. CarolynPhelan.