From Publishers Weekly
Intellectual kin to James Marshall's The Stupids, Dav Pilkey's Dumb Bunnies and not to be confused with Michele Sobel Spirn's Know-Nothings, Bertram Reliable Butternut No-Nothing and his wife Doriana Hiccup Whatsername No-Nothing seem unlikely parent material. Yet they confidently pull up to a fast-food window and request the "speedy delivery" of their baby. After being redirected to the hospital next door, Bertram and Doriana meet their infant daughter and learn about bottle-feeding: " 'That looks good,' Mr. No-Nothing said. 'I'll have one.' 'Me too,' said his wife." Later, they hop into the tub for a "baby shower." Mazer's (The Accidental Witch) deadpan dialogue sets up silly sight gags that reveal the adult No-Nothings' blithe ignorance and their baby's unforeseen smarts. Collins stocks the images with visual jokes, like a "5TU PID" license plate and upside-down tulips in a vase. He pictures the couple as gawky, big-eared twits with dopey grins, who never wear more than one shoe between them. The vignettes have a campy glee occasioned by the No-Nothings' mismatched clothes, and a nervous energy amplified by the slapstick child-rearing. This book confirms that adults are dangerously dim and that daughter knows best; however, the baby doesn't commiserate with the audience, so there's no sympathetic character. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-The No-Nothings, like Sue Denim's "Dumb Bunnies" (Scholastic) and Harry Allard's "Stupids" (Houghton), are not too swift. They diaper their newborn's head, arms, and legs instead of her bottom and they try to feed her french fries. Luckily a nurse intervenes and parents and Betty enjoy their bottles. At home they try to put the baby in the shower for a surprise baby shower but the neighbors save the day. Unfortunately, no one is there to stop them from piling into the stroller with Betty and launching themselves down a hill. It is Betty who, escaping injury, is shown phoning for help. The text, full of bold print and colored type, is enhanced by the exuberant cartoons. In their outlandish outfits, the No-Nothings twist and caper across the pages while wide-eyed Betty looks alternately bemused and long suffering. The book is visually lively and well laid out, but ultimately tries too hard to be funny. The stiffer posing of the "Dumb Bunnies" and the "Stupids," who appear against relatively flat picture planes, coupled with their matter-of-fact texts in staid type heighten their absurdity. There is also something unsettling about these parents who are continually placing their infant in harm's way. For the slapstick humor that kids love, stick with these earlier favorites.
Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
