David Gets in Trouble (David Books [Shannon])

"No" and "David" were the first words David Shannon learned how to spell. Shannon's Caldecott Honor Book No, David! is based on a book he made as a child showing a kid doing all the things he isn't supposed to do. In the sequel David Goes to School , it turns out that teachers say no, too. And in this third picture book, it's David's turn to talk back. What does he say when he gets in trouble? "I didn't mean to." (Skateboarding into a lamp table.) "It was an accident!" (Hitting a baseball into a window.) "I forgot!" (Happily walking down the street... in his underpants.) "But Dad says it!" (Boy in corner with mouth full of soap.) Of course, the cat-tail-pulling, burping, grape-juice-dropping, runny-egg-hating, out-of-control David wins us over in the end. A defiant "No, it wasn't me!" evolves into a guilt-ridden, late-at-night shout, "Yes! It was me! I'm sorry. I love you, Mom." Awwww. Shannon's expressive, childlike paintings of the round-headed, shark-toothed David-in-trouble perfectly capture the manic joys of early boyhood. (Ages 3 and older) --Karin Snelson From Publishers Weekly That irrepressible fellow with the Charlie Brown head is back, trailing a whole new slew of disasters in his wake. In this follow-up to No, David! and David Goes to School, Shannon finally lets David get a word in edgewise as in "No! It's not my fault!" and "It was an accident!" In a series of hilarious snapshots of trouble-in-progress, David hurtles from one scrape to another. Anyone can sympathize with David's trials and tribulations, whether he is scowling at his breakfast ("Do I have to?"), pulling the cat's tail ("But she likes it!") or sitting sullenly on the bathroom floor, soap wedged firmly in mouth ("But Dad says it!"). The exuberant artwork crackles with energy and color (including backdrops in lime green and bittersweet orange), as Shannon carefully hews to a child's-eye view of the world (adults appear only as limbs and torsos). This memorable character is nothing short of a force of nature, from his scribbled eyes and hair to his shark-sharp teeth. In the end, it's a confession ("Yes! It was me!") that allows him a peaceful night's sleep, with a woman's tender hand and an "I love you, mom" hovering over his angelic (for now at least) round head. Readers will gladly call for "More, David!" Ages 3-up. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal reSchool-Grade 2-David is back, and he is still causing a commotion. This time, he is sure that he is not to blame for every disaster that befalls him. The illustrations clearly show the dilemmas he has created, but his words in childlike print tell why he feels his mother should not be angry with him. "It was an accident" excuses his baseball crashing through a window. "I forgot" is his laughing rejoinder as he walks to school in his underwear. "But she likes it!" explains why he is pulling on the cat's tail. Talking with a bar of soap in his mouth, he complains, "But Dad says it!" When he stands guiltily next to a previously beautifully decorated cake with chocolate all over his face, he says, "No, it wasn't me!" However, the next spread shows him sitting up in bed, crying out, "Yes! It was me! I'm sorry," and he is patted by his mother as he tells her he loves her. The contemporary stylistic art is just right for depicting the boy's antics and his high-energy personality. David's comments in handwritten text sympathetically and humorously show his childlike reasoning and his eventual willingness to take responsibility for his actions. The front cover shows him sitting on a stool having a time out, and the back cover is filled with an array of timers, each one showing one minute passing. Children who enjoyed No, David (1998) and David Goes to School (1999, both Scholastic) will welcome this lighthearted sequel. Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. * "The humor is always in the art-huge, full-color paintings with plenty of heft that fill up the page." - Booklist (starred review)"The exuberant artwork crackles with energy and color .... Readers will gladly call for 'More,David!'" - Publishers Weekly (starred review)* "The contemporary stylistic art is just right." - School Library Journal (starred review)ALA Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for YouthCapitol ChoicesIRA Children's ChoicesCuffies: Children's Booksellers Books of the Year From the Inside Flap David doesn't mean to get in trouble. It's not his fault. Most of the time, it's just an accident! Or maybe he forgot something. Or some furniture got in the way.Once again, David Shannon proves he knows every excuse in the book -- especially when David doesn't mean to get in trouble. It's not his fault. Most of the time, it's just an accident! Or maybe he forgot something. Or some furniture got in the way.Once again, David Shannon proves he knows every excuse in the book -- especially when David Shannon is the internationally acclaimed creator of more than 30 picture books, including No, David! , a Caldecott Honor Book and his second New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and four more David picture books. Shannon's bestsellers include A Bad Case of Stripes , Duck on a Bike , and Too Many Toys . He lives in Southern California with his family and Roy, their West Highland White Terrier. Read more