The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail

Gr 1-3 Shy Seymour is a closet artist, specializing in puddle paintings, leaf prints, and mud sculptures. After his friends discover his talents, they encourage him to make a career of his art. A few phone calls later, Seymour lands a job at the Speedy Arts Gallery. "I'd better get going," he says. "I start tomorrow. And it's a whole block away!" But Seymour finds his duties disappointing: sealing envelopes and delivering packages are not what he had in mind, and his new boss, Mr. Stink Bug, seems impossible to please. Even worse, Seymour is working so hard that he can't find time to look at the work created by a mysterious new artist. With only a few sentences and at least one illustration per page, this title is perfect for students transitioning to chapter books. Some of the story's humor seems aimed more at adults than kids (a spider tells Seymour he's onto something big the World Wide Weband an earwig tells him, "the job market is sluggish"). However, Cushman's black-and-white cartoons delineate the characters and add humor and perspective. Readers will enjoy seeing how Seymour uses the phone and understand why a flight of stairs is such an obstacle for him. Suggest this for readers not quite ready for Katie Speck's "Maybelle in the Soup" (Holt, 2007)."Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR" Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for "The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail: "

"Young gradeschoolers will enjoy all the talk about slime and goo, as well as the puns about a friendly spider, who is working on something big—the World Wide Web. Children will also cheer for the small creature, who oozes along at a snail's pace but triumphs in the end."—"Booklist"

"Engaging characters and winning art create a solid addition to the field of transitional literature."—"Kirkus Reviews"

"With only a few sentences and at least one illustration per page, this title is perfect for students transitioning to chapter books."—"School Library Journal"""