Professor McNasty's Collection of Slimes

by Chris Bickley

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Professor McNasty's Collection of Slimes is an illustrated rhyming book aimed at younger readers. It's short (32 pages) and available in ebook and paperback formats. Author Chris Bickley's silly rhyming narrative is paired with Brenda Ponnay's cute digital art. The book is published by Xist Publishing and was released 1st Dec, 2017.

It really is quite cute and the art is quirky and fun. The things which I personally found less than ideal with the book will almost certainly not be issues for the vast majority of readers. First, there are a lot of places where the scansion is all over the place. The grammar and syntax are often incomplete or really twisted to make a rhyme (and the punctuation suffers mightily as a result). This makes the text difficult to read out loud. I don't know how much that will bother anyone but me. The typeface (Garamond) also seemed a bit lackluster given the wacky nature of the story. It's a very old, regal, staid and static typeface which seemed at odds at times with the frenetic story. There are a few places where the art textures and backgrounds are also not centered/kerned. Again, my problems with the story and art are relatively minor and really won't detract from the book for the majority of people.

I liked that the kids worked and saved toward a goal by cooperating. I liked that the whole family pulled together when things went wrong and solved problems together. I loved the punchline at the very end of the book. There is a lot to like here.

Three and a half stars. Very cute book.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.