The Mud Flat Olympics

My children and I have recently discovered James Stevenson's books, and this one is our favorite by far! The humor is offbeat, which makes it fun to read for both kids and adults. The illustrations are fun. Even though the drawings are simple, the expressions on the faces of the animals convey so much. The illustrations add to the humor of the book.

James Stevenson is not your typical kid's book writer but that is why I like him. He's sweet without being sappy and there's a storyline with just enough tension for little kids. These are great, loose drawings and characters you can love. Read his other books, too, like The Worst books and the Grandpa books, and Monty.

We love this book. The drawings are perfect--they're loopy, full of character, and with just the right amount of detail and color, not overworked like so many children's-book illustrations. We love the story, the dialogue, and the names--regular human names for these creatures, who act just like your neighbors and friends. Who would have thought that a snail has a personality? We like all the chapters, but the one we keep acting out is the Smelliest Skunk Contest. Franklin is so cute and Mr. Tokay still has what it takes. We kept checking Mud Flat Olympics out of the library until I (mom) decided it was about time to have our own copy.