Praise for Stuart’s Cape

- Winner, Maryland Blue Crab Award
- One of New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

From Publishers Weekly
Pennypacker's (Dumbstruck) winsomely warped tale introduces eight-year-old, woe-is-me Stuart, whose family has just moved to a new town. The boy feels anxious about many things, including his new house ("What if there were man-eating spiders in his new bedroom closet? Or, a man eating spiders?"); getting locked inside the bathroom of his new school; and the possibility that no one in third grade will want to be his friend. "Stuart was very good at worrying. He was not so good at waiting." Impatient for adventure, Stuart suddenly realizes, "Adventures only happen to people with capes!" He fashions his own by stapling together 100 old ties and the adventures begin. The funniest scenario involves the cape-draped lad's realization that he can fly-but he can't land until his aunt makes a giant slingshot and sends him a pound cake to weigh him down. Most preposterous is the final episode: after Stuart's parents forbid him to wear his superhero gear on school orientation day, his cat falls asleep on his cape and ends up switching identities with the trash collector-but the upshot is realistic (Stuart makes a friend). Matje's (A Pig Named Perrier) pen-and-ink spreads and spot illustrations (a standout shows Stuart racing across the top of a spread, his cape-of-ties sailing behind him) amplify Pennypacker's quirky humor. The wry tone may be lost on some readers, yet others will happily escape with Stuart as he embarks on his confidence-building flights of fancy. Ages 6-9. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-Stuart is bound and determined to find himself an adventure. Of course, everyone knows that only happens to those who have capes and thus, armed with several old ties, one rusty stapler, and a purple sock, the child creates a magic garment that allows him to fly, to grow toast, and, finally, to make a friend. This zany easy chapter book is also the story of a small boy coping with the fears that accompany a move to a new town (do robbers live next door?) and the start of a new school year (will he be able to find the bathroom?). The story is hilariously descriptive and will appeal to both slower and more proficient readers, and its engaging flow makes for a great read-aloud. Matje's quirky cartoon pencil drawings add to the weird flavor of the book. Robyn Ryan Vandenbroek, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. In Stuart's world, the real, the eccentric, and the magical all spin together, but the tone is utterly matter-of-fact. Stuart's family has just moved to Punbury, and Stuart is anxious about all sorts of things: "What if there were man-eating spiders in his new bedroom closet? Or, a man eating spiders?" In his boredom and restlessness, he decides to be a superhero and makes himself a cape. When he is wearing his cape, adventures do seem to follow, each with its own unique twist. Pennypacker's writing is top-notch; she uses word choices, punctuation, rhythm, and other literary elements in surprising and funny ways. It's possible to read the book solely as Stuart's imagination at work, but it's more fun to believe that Stuart's cat, One-Tooth, really does end up driving the trash truck or that eating a greedy amount of angel food cake makes Stuart fly. This entertaining book gets at the truth of children's feelings and is a good choice for reading aloud to a slightly younger crew. Illustrations not seen. Susan Dove Lempke Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved

Kirkus Reviews, July, 2002
Readers who like Captain Underpants have a new choice, one that will make them howl and won't make their parents squirm.

Praise for Stuart Goes to School

"The worrywart hero of Stuart's Cape faces his first day of classes in a new town. Luckily, his magic cape will help him out again in this wryly funny mix of the real and the magical, enhanced by the late Matje's quirky line art," Publishers Weekly said. Ages 4-8. (July) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-A sequel to Stuart's Cape (Orchard, 2002), this humorous fantasy perfectly captures the child's-eye view of elementary-school life. Stuart, who is "excellent at worrying," finds plenty to agonize over as he starts third grade at a new school. What if he gets stuck in the bathroom or throws up? Why does he have to wear his father's ugly cowboy shirt and green plaid pants? His only consolation is his magical cape. When he wears it, unexpected adventures happen. To impress his classmates, the boy decides to try controlling the cape's arcane powers. He wishes for the hideous hand-me-down outfit to disappear but suddenly finds himself standing in his underwear. Stuart is convinced that he will be the laughingstock of the third grade forever. The expressive cartoon drawings often become part of the text design. Young readers are sure to identify with Stuart's persistent quest to find his place in the classroom society.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. Stuart is back, with his cape made out of ties, and he still has a lot to worry about. His family has moved, so it is going to be a whole new third grade. Children will recognize Stuart's anxieties: What if no one likes him? What if he gets lost on the way to the bathroom? What if he throws up? As in the previous book, Stuart's Cape (2002), adventures abound; he is mortified when, during "Our Big Interesting World" (show-and-tell), his cape makes his clothes disappear, and he finds himself standing in front of the whole class in his underwear. But the next day, the cape makes a hole, and Stuart finds some very interesting uses for it. Stuart loves to draw, and his artwork plays an important part in the resolution, which is deeply reassuring. Matje's numerous line drawings look as though Stuart did them.
Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved