Fans of Tedd Arnold's Huggly will see a kindred spirit in Dewey Dew. Poor Click-Clack Waddle-Waddle Dot-Dot Dewey Dew does not want to go to school, and it's not just the usual reluctance of a child starting school. It's much worse because he has to get in the space ship and go all the way to Earth to attend Ms. Brightsun's School. It's enough to make his eye dorfle (which looks suspiciously like crying with his one big eye). In much the same way that Huggly looks comical dressed in human clothes, Dewey Dew has trouble with the t-shirt that doesn't fit him right in any direction, his oofs are pinched in the Earth shoes, and the Earth socks are all on droopy on his hunklets. The students are colorful and noisy. The classroom routines are strange and scary. How can it be "ootay" as his mom promised him it would be?
This is perfect for a read-aloud on the first day of school, or as part of a lesson on how hard it is to adjust to a new culture. Being the new kid is taken to an extreme that makes it easy to smile and read along knowing that things just have to work out. Students may decide to create their own eight-words-long names in the style of Dewey Dew's, and they will laugh over the alien words he uses for things like feet and ankles. Readers can look for other funny details in the illustrations such as the astronaut flashing a peace sign at Dewey Dew and his mom as they fly past Space Station Zoomalot.
Fun for all ages, but especially recommended for the early primary grades.
I received an advance copy for review purposes.
* Update - 08/01/2016 We have added this title to the Fairview Library.
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