The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors

Rock is the invincible champion of the Kingdom of Backyard, but winning comes too easily. "Smooshing you has brought me no joy," he tells a flattened apricot. Meanwhile, two other hardcore competitors are having similar crises: Paper has vanquished all comers in the Empire of Mom's Home Office ("Taste my fury, giant box-monster!" says Paper before jamming the computer printer), while Scissors is the undisputed victor of the Kitchen Realm. Their yearning for worthy opponents is finally answered by a meet-up in the garage. After three exhilarating rounds, they realize that their epic battles can go on forever: "Finally, they had each met their matches." This exuberant collaboration between Daywalt (The Day the Crayons Quit) and Rex (How This Book Was Made) is similarly felicitous. Daywalt's text, set in a range of expressive fonts, combines the heightened verbosity of vintage action comics with the swagger of backyard scuffles ("I hope you're wearing your battle pants, rock warrior," warns Scissors), and Rex composes wildly dramatic battle scenes against backdrops of thunderstorms, erupting volcanoes, and missile launches. Forget reading aloud--this story demands bombastic, full-volume performances. Ages 4-8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Apr.)

K-Gr 3—In the ancient kingdom of Backyard live many warriors, including Clothespin, Apricot, and the mighty and unbeatable Rock. After many battles, all won by Rock, he eagerly sets out to seek a more formidable opponent. Meanwhile, in the Empire of Mom's Home Office and the Kitchen Realm, Paper and Scissors are also finding themselves to be unconquerable among the warriors in their respective lands. Bored of only ever winning, the three fighters, in their quest for a challenge, come face-to-face in the cavernous Two-Car Garage, where they each meet their match. The newly discovered struggles that the three endure cause so much joy that they battle again and again, and children all over the world honor these battles to this very day. Featuring bold and frenzied colors and fonts, this picture book from the author of The Day the Crayons Quit will appeal to children everywhere. The energy that explodes from each spread is contagious, and readers will be hooked from the very first page. With wacky characters such as dinosaur-shaped chicken nugget warriors and a half-eaten bag of trail mix and illustrations that combine the real and the surreal, there is never a dull moment. VERDICT Laugh-out-loud funny and outrageous at times, this read-aloud will have listeners jumping out of their seats. This is the sort of story that makes children love to read.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

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