Perma-Bound from Publisher's Hardcover ©2017 | -- |
Publisher's Hardcover ©2017 | -- |
Practical jokes. Juvenile fiction.
Alarm reaction. Juvenile fiction.
Cousins. Juvenile fiction.
Practical jokes. Fiction.
Fear. Fiction.
Cousins. Fiction.
PreS-Gr 2In this their second picture book collaboration, Stine and Brown introduce Mary McScary. Mary delights in scaring everyone but can't find a way to frighten her cousin Harry, so she pulls out all the stops when he comes to visit. Giant spiders, a ferocious gorilla, slimy snakes, a hungry hippoMary moans in despair as each dastardly deed backfires. Harry cuddles with the spiders, rides the gorilla, hugs the snakes, and tickles the hippo. Just when it seems like the red-haired fiend will give up, Mary concocts her most devious scheme yet: a kiss! With a long scream, Harry flees, and Mary reminds readers why she is truly scary. Brown's collage illustrations are the real showstopper in this cute, if slightly predictable, story. Mary's expressive close-ups, especially her evil mastermind realization that leads to Harry's downfall, perfectly capture her terrifying charm without plunging the story into depths too spooky. Bright, bold colors stretch across the pages, and Brown's inclusion of famous artwork on the walls, such as Edvard Munch's The Scream, is a subtle nod to the macabre. Stine's use of repetition and patterning makes this an ideal choice for sharing aloud with children, and Harry's humorous responses to Mary's scares allows it to be a gentle choice for younger audiences. VERDICT A first purchase holiday selection for school and public libraries.Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI
Kirkus ReviewsMary McScary takes her name very seriously, but will she manage to scare her unscarable cousin Harry? The cover illustration embodies Mary's personality: flaming red hair in braided pigtails, an obviously unique sense of style, and quirked mouth and slanted eyebrows signaling her determination. Even the white girl's stance speaks volumes: arms flung out to open a set of double doors, legs widely spaced. The thought of tangling with Mary might bring to adult readers' minds the boy from O. Henry's "Ransom of Red Chief." Indeed, Mary lives to scare, and she practices her art on her family members and pets at every opportunity. But she has yet to scare Harry, who has come for a visit. Will her hairiest monster costume work? A gorilla or jarful of spiders? What about snakes or a hippo? All fail. But just when Harry believes Mary's pronouncement that she's quit, she turns to him to admit defeat and puckers up. That sends him running away screaming! Brown's illustrations just may be the bane of parents everywhere, as they are a trove of ideas for mischief-making young readers. Mary's cat is especially expressive, and adults will chuckle at some of the artwork on the wall. Readers should indeed heed Stine's repeated refrain and "Beware of Mary McScary!" (Picture book. 3-7)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)This second collaboration between Stine and Brown, after
School Library Journal (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
BEWARE OF MARY MCSCARY, a fearless, fierce and funny new picture book heroine on a mission to scare her cousin Harry, from beloved, best-selling children's book icons, RL Stine and Marc Brown.
A Barnes and Noble Halloween National Storytime pick! Meet Mary McScary. Mary likes to be scary. She scares her mom, her dad, her pets, and even a balloon! But there's just one person Mary can't scare -- her cousin, Harry McScary. He's not afraid of the usual things, like spiders, snakes, and other creepy crawlies. But Mary doesn't give up that easily, and one way or another she'll find a way to give Harry the scare of his life. . . Beware of Mary McScary!Renowned bestselling children's book talents R.L. Stine, creator of the Goosebumps series, and Marc Brown, creator of the Arthur Adventure series, join forces once again in a spine-tingling, wildly funny picture book story featuring a fearless anti-heroine that will have kids and their parents cheering, "BOOOOOO!"