School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 1-4--In this book of superlatives, imagination reigns. What is the jumpiest thing in the world? "Two thousand two hundred twenty-two toads on a trampoline." Each double-page spread features an adjective (e.g., hottest, smelliest, stickiest) highlighted in a bright color along with a creative idea of what the adjective could be describing. Readers are introduced to a wiggly snake on a skate, a windsurfing ant, and other equally bizarre creations. Amusing acrylic illustrations aptly blend realism with fantasy. There is a pleasing continuity of text to pictures as the color of the highlighted word is repeated in the matching illustration. Use this book as a jumping off point to set students' imaginations free or choose it for perhaps the liveliest lesson in comparative adjectives.--Anne Knickerbocker, formerly at Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX

ALA Booklist (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 1998)

Barrett, author of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (1982) and Animals Should Definitely ot Wear Clothing (1989), here plays around with superlatives. Each double-page spread contains a statement such as The wiggliest thing in the world is a snake ice-skating. It faces a full-page acrylic painting of a snake with muffler and earmuffs trying to keep its balance as it glides across a frozen lake, teetering on one skate. To really enjoy the humor, children should be old enough to find silly things funny and young enough not to be too critical--or maybe just be the sort of kid who enjoys debating whether a newborn flea is the teeniest-weeniest thing in the world. Most of the illustrations are literal; however, Nickle adds his own imaginative bits to the mix. Some of the ideas, such as the highest thing in the world is the very top of the sky, are difficult to illustrate effectively and seem flattened rather than expanded by the attempt. The last page carries the most creative potential by inviting kids to come up with their own est thing in the world. The book itself isn't entirely successful, but teachers will use it to inspire children to dream up and illustrate their own superlatives. (Reviewed September 15, 1998)

Horn Book

In this list of silly superlatives, a snake on ice skates is the "wiggliest" and a skunk convention is the "smelliest." Each example is illustrated with a slick, slightly surreal painting that takes full advantage of the wonderfully absurd text. The book ends with a fill-in-the-blank page to be duplicated so kids can create their own examples.

Kirkus Reviews

Goofy superlatives are showcased in this book from Barrett, some clever, some slightly mawkish, all shaped by a particular brand of humor that will either work for readers or leave them flat. <p> Goofy superlatives are showcased in this book from Barrett, some clever, some slightly mawkish, all shaped by a particular brand of humor that will either work for readers or leave them flat. For example: The quietest thing in the world is a worm chewing peanut butter'' has the ring of inspiration to it, whereasthe silliest thing in the world is a chicken in a frog costume'' won't tickle everyone's funny bone. The heaviest thing in the world is a Tyrannosaurus rex weighing itself'' is just plain confusing, as is the art that accompanies theteensie-weensiest'' thing--a newborn flea; when scaled against the watchband in Nickle's vibrant illustration, the flea is not so small, and its mother is enormous. The least successful statements are those that run to nonsense; the most successful are the ones based in a grain of truth: Most readers will agree with the poetic notion that the ``the highest thing in the world is the very top of the sky.'' (Picture book. 3-7)</p> "

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

"Nickle brushes on five-alarm acrylics to set the stage for Barrett's energetically loony look at superlatives," wrote <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. "The resulting delicious absurdities should inspire both giggles and creativity in readers." Ages 3-7.<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC""> (Aug.)