Late for School

by Steve Martin, C. F. Payne (Illustrator)

Overview

Getting to school has never been quite this difficult--or hilarious. Celebrated writer and performer Steve Martin and dynamic artist C. F. Payne (illustrator of John Lithgow's children's books) have teamed up to tell a story of the adventure, danger, and laughs of the journey to school. Enclosed with the book is a CD of Martin on banjo and vocals, singing the book's story with a bluegrass twist.

Undoubtedly a new classic for readers of all ages, Late to School is the perfect gift to be read--and listened to--again and again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780446574662
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	09/08/2010
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Steve Martin is a legendary writer, actor, and performer. His film credits include Father of the Bride, Parenthood, The Spanish Prisoner, and Bringing Down the House, as well as Roxanne, L.A. Story, and Bowfinger, for which he also wrote the screenplays.

He's won Emmys for his television writing and two Grammys for comedy albums. In addition to a play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, he has written a bestselling collection of comic pieces, Pure Drivel, and a bestselling novella, Shopgirl, which was made into a movie. His work appears frequently in The New Yorker and The New York Times.

Hometown:

Beverly Hills, California

Date of Birth:

August 14, 1945

Place of Birth:

Waco, Texas

Education:

Long Beach State College; University of California, Los Angeles

Website:

http://www.stevemartin.com

Editorial Reviews

Comedian Martin's (The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z!) album of banjo songs won a Grammy last year; "Late for School," one of the songs, is included here on a CD. In printed form, without Martin's inimitable delivery, the lyrics read a little raggedly ("Woke up this morning/ Clock said I was late for school/ Teacher told me that's not cool/ Gotta put my shirt and pants on"), but in Payne's (Turkey Bowl) hands, Martin's goofy verse achieves its comic impact on a cinematic scale. The boy's eyebrows shoot up and his lips purse with wild exaggeration as he jams his legs into his shorts; sporting a baseball jersey and a brush cut, he races downstairs, dashes across a neighbor's swimming pool, his feet and legs a blur as he logrolls a pool toy, then grabs a kite and lands on the football field with minutes to spare. (It's Saturday, of course.) Kids will relish Martin's subversive madness--especially the image of the boy elbowing his grandmother facedown into her pie as he rockets out of the house. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Woke up this morning / Clock said I was late for school / Teacher told me that's not cool / Gotta put my shirt and pants on / Flew down the front stair / Wet my fingers and slicked my hair / Elbowed grandma passing by / Her face went into a pie." This little guy with great big ears doesn't want to disappoint Mom and Dad or end up in the grammar slammer, so he puts on some wild speed. He log rolls across a neighbor's pool and uses the diving board to grab a kite tail. He floats to the football field and makes a mad dash through the school building...you know where this is heading: It's Saturday! Rats! Thank goodness he gets home in time to go fishing with Dad. Martin turns one of the songs from his 2009 Grammy-winning bluegrass recording into what functions best as a read-along (or sing-along) with the enclosed CD; only he can make his wild word rhythms shine. Payne's painted illustrations are a good-enough match, but they are hardly as frenetic as the song. Definitely worth a place in your picture-book collection nevertheless. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews