April Foolishness

Plot Summary

It's a spring morning on the farm. Grandma is happy the grandkis are visiting—they've picked just the right day!—and Grandpa is fixing breakfast.

Suddenly his grandson reports that the cows have got loose! He thinks Big Brown Bessie just stepped on a goose! "Good gracious," Grandpa says as he pours himself a glass of milk.

When his granddaughter shouts the chickens are out, Grandpa cooks up some eggs. Pigs broke the gate" Grandpa fries bacon. Why is Grandpa so cool? Because he knows the kids are trying to play an April Fool's trick!

Teresa Bateman's rollicking rhyme and Nadine Bernard Westcott's rib-tickling pictures make for riotous April Fool's Day fun. The author lives in Washington State. The illustrator lives in Massachusetts.

Awards

2007-2008 Volunteer State Master List; Booklist Editors’ Choice 2004; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2005; Winner, 2006-2007 Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award

Reviews

"Both Bateman and Westcott keep pace with all this: the text alternately hysterical and deadpan, the artwork aflurry one moment and placid the next." Kirkus Reviews

"Zany and inventive, the artwork amplifies the story's humor. A great storyhour choice for April Fool's Day or just about any other day." STARRED, Booklist

"Family pranks highlight the gentle, teasing relationships in this amusing tale. ... Cartoon artwork closely follows the action as the disarray grows, drawing readers into Grandpa's imagination and disbelief. Bold watercolors, punctuated by ink detail, frame the animals' frolic as described in the rhyming verse. Wake up a storytime about farm life or save this one for April foolishness." School Library Journal

"The pair behind Farm Flu returns to the barnyard for another heapin' helpin' of monkeyshines. ... A closing image proves that the group is not mean-spirited but just engaging in a bit of fun. The book's double-edged joke (Grandpa won't be fooled, and so he's more foolish) and the fact that kids love the idea of adult-sanctioned mischievousness makes this a surefire giggle-inducer." Publishers Weekly

Associated Keywords
April Fool's Day, humor, grandparents, grandmother,grandfather, grandpa, grandma, April First, April 1, rhyme, trick