Tales for the Perfect Child

March 29, 1999
Seven witty stories feature anthropomorphic bear cubs that are ingenious at evil, and good for laughs, said PW. Ages 7-up.

September 1, 1985
Chess's pictures of anthropomorphic bears, imaginatively attired, do justice to these stories, among the most fiendish inventions by the author of the Treehorn epics. Heide soberly recites trenchant stories of the ways adopted by boys and girls beside whom even really rotten children would seem perfect. Harriet, for instance, assiduously practices whining and proves unbeatable at the art. "A good whiner sticks to one subject . . . never gives up.'' Harriet wears her mother down and gets her way, no matter how long it takes. Then she rests, stops whining, until it's time for another match. Irving likes to wear disgraceful clothes and loll about the house. When his mother orders Irving to dress in his best and pay a social call with her, he obeys. Then he gets so dirty, accidentally, that he has to stay home. The other kids in the book are equally ingenious at evil and good for laughs.

January 15, 2017
Impeccable instructions for triumphing over grown-ups.Originally published in 1985 with illustrations by Victoria Chess, this pleasing reissue with new illustrations and one new story still showcases spot-on techniques for getting the better of adults. The trim size is invitingly small and each story (there are eight), accessibly short. Where Chess supplied pictures of identical, hairy, but benign monsters, Ruzzier depicts a variety of recognizable anthropomorphic animals. Bertha, a duck in pants and a sweater, knots her own shoelaces to stall for time. Harriet, a kitten in a button-down shirtdress and bow tie, "was a very good whiner. She practiced and practiced, and so of course she got better and better at it." Several characters win by obeying letter but not spirit. Chick Ruby must watch her baby brother, so she watches him take everything, item by item, out of the cupboards and dump them on the kitchen floor. Piglet Harry (star of the new story) can't have ice cream until his carrots "are gone," so he tucks them into a plastic bag in his pocket. Using black and blue ink and ink wash, Ruzzier complements the textual humor by giving the animals indignant eyebrows, sly expressions of superiority, seriously recognizable pouts, and genuine satisfaction at their inevitable victories. While it's fun to imagine this as a manual that will pass clandestinely from child to child, the truth is that most kids know these techniques already. No harm, no foul--and no carrots. (Fiction. 5-8)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 1-3-A collection of eight short stories about children using clever and sneaky techniques to achieve their objectives. These goals directly conflict with the wishes of their persistent parents. Ruby doesn't want to watch her baby brother. Arthur does not want to get dressed up. Harry does not like carrots. All of these children, and others, plot and scheme to get exactly what they want. The children are represented by humanized animals with telling facial expressions. Ruzzier's black-and-white illustrations have a playful cartoon art appearance and accompany the text pleasingly. They also capture the hidden perspectives of some of the characters who are taken advantage of in each scenario. Their stories go untold. However, readers can easily identify feelings such as frustration and discontent in their expressive features. The tales have an engaging, poetic flow. Each humorous offering is crafted with an identical rhythmic structure. This format begins by capturing what each new character likes and does not like to do. It then describes the character's predicament and how the conflict is resolved. Heide trusts children to recognize and call out the dishonest and selfish actions and perhaps enjoy a vicarious laugh at the perfectly imperfect behavior. VERDICT A unique title to read aloud and talk about. For large collections.-Deanna Smith, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

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June 3, 1991
In PW 's words, ``Chess's pictures of anthropomorphic bears, imaginatively attired, do justice to these . . . fiendish inventions--trenchant stories of the ways adopted by boys and girls beside whom even really rotten children would seem perfect.'' Ages 8-12.