Party Pooper

by Jennifer Gray Olson (Author) Jennifer Gray Olson (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

A hilarious, yet tender and sincere picture book about making mistakes, owning up to them, and asking forgiveness.

Every party has a pooper. You may not have wanted one. You certainly did not invite one. But, inevitably, every party will have one. So what should you do?

Maybe you can interest the pooper in a game? Hopefully the pooper doesn't lay down in defeat in the middle of your Twister mat... oh, there he goes. Directly on the blue dot you needed.

Perhaps you can entice the pooper with a delicious, scrumptious cake? Unless the pooper sticks his booger-y fingers directly into the layer you were most excited to eat... sigh.

Oh, I know what to do! Let's. Party. HARDER.

Until... things get taken too far. Then it might be time to take a step back and do the hardest thing of all: apologize.

In Party Pooper, Jennifer Gray Olson tackles complex SEL themes with expertise, grace, and laugh-out-loud humor. It's a thoughtful, yet entertaining examination that has equal empathy for the party goers and, of course, the party pooper.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

[Party Pooper] confronts serious issues--social awkwardness, the inability to make friends--while simultaneously addressing those who want to help them... children will giggle but also, hopefully, think and learn.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--Lurking behind the fun of every party is the notorious party pooper! Will they prevail in destroying the fun? In this funny story, an adorable panda party pooper wreaks havoc on the festivities, but regrets his actions and must earn his fellow partygoers' forgiveness. The story has read-aloud potential with short and snappy sentences that will keep children turning pages and involved to the very last. The watercolor illustrations are fun and colorful, perfectly capturing the party atmosphere. VERDICT While not necessarily groundbreaking in content, this comical story is a solid additional purchase for children's collections.--Maria Bohan

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Jennifer Gray Olson
Jennifer Gray Olson is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in art education. Her love of creating funny and offbeat characters, and the worlds in which they live, led her to illustrating. Her first Ninja Bunny book was praised for its "sweetly humorous fun" (Publishers Weekly), "gorgeous illustrations" (New York Journal of Books), and "marvelous simplicity" (Examiner.com). Jennifer lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. To find out more about her, please visit her at JenniferGrayOlson.com, jennifergrayolson.tumblr.com, and on Facebook and Twitter: @jgrayolson.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250206282
Lexile Measure
390
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Roaring Brook Press
Publication date
November 07, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
Library of Congress categories
-

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