Bad Boy, Good Boy

PreS-Gr 2—Poor Sam always seems to be in trouble due to an excess of joie de vivre. He disturbs his family while pretending to be the wind but finds his best friend's hat. He disappears in the middle of a stormy day only to be found sitting in a big nest he built to protect a baby bird who had fallen from a tree. Chorao shows that youngsters can have two sides to their personalities through her colorful, amusing pictures. When he is awakened by a nighttime noise, Sam sneaks downstairs to find Grandpa making a mess in the kitchen. Hindered by his lack of glasses, Grandpa needs help making chocolate eggs and toast along with a huge mess, ultimately getting Sam into trouble. Sam explains all to Mom and Grandpa thanks him for helping. The animal characters have comical expressions and a great sense of movement. Chorao makes some enjoyably interesting choices in breaking up pages into comic-book panels, adding to the overall visual appeal. Kids will certainly relate to Sam, whose intentions are always good even if he sometimes causes a commotion.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA