The Mud Flat Olympics - Hardcover

James Stevenson's books for children have been universally welcomed by young and old alike.

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Art and text work together beautifully in a goofy bit of entertainment that crackles with sly comedy. As animal athletes test their prowess in the Mud Flat Olympics, children have a chance to see friendship, fair play, and fun in action. In "The Deepest Hole Contest," the first of four laughable competitions, moles do their stuff while onlookers "see" who's ahead by putting their ears to the ground. In another match, snails tackle high hurdles with great deliberation; in a third, a variety of amiable beasts demonstrate swimming and sportsmanship. It's the "smelliest skunk contest" ("Mr. Tokay Wins Again"), however, that's truly unforgettable. Touched with the sort of comedy that makes Stevenson's books about the elderly Worst popular, this is a great example of the author-artist's mischievous verbal wit. It also shows off Stevenson's remarkable ability to turn splashes of watercolor and a few freewheeling ink lines into expressive cartoon characters. The impish humor won't be to everyone's taste, but the animal Olympians have a lot going for them--more than enough to leave a lot of kids laughing out loud. Stephanie Zvirin