Publishers Weekly
Six unruly children are in for a shock when a green-speckled, one-eyed, tentacled monster (wearing a neat brown suit) shows up as their substitute teacher. Mr. Creacher also has three eyes on the back of his head, the better to intercept the inevitable tack-on-the-chair prank. He speaks in rhymes—encased in slimy-looking voice bubbles—and informs his disorderly students that, over 49 years, "I've collected some tales/ whose lessons are grave/ about boys and girls/ who didn't behave." He calmly launches into brief cautionary tales of children whose deeds bring big trouble. A glue-eater sticks to everything he touches, a doodler's dragon comes alive, and—worst of all—a boy (named Chris) steals from classmates and is transformed into a monster: " 'Til he repaid his debt,/ a creacher he'd be./ And by now you should know:/ That monster is me." Gall (Dinotrux) illustrates in explosive, cinematic panels; retro Ben-Day dot patterns allude to classic funnies. If the dire warnings fail to inspire repentance, Mr. Creacher's dilemma—and a conclusion that breaks the spell—may warm the cold hearts of defiant substitute baiters. Ages 3–6. (July)
From the Publisher
* "Combines humor and a touch of magic.... certain to provide more than a few laughs."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "This is a delicious little shocker of a picture book that ought to whip... crowd[s] of youngsters into a shrieking, laughing frenzy."—Booklist, starred review
"Explosive, cinematic panels; retro Ben-Day dot patterns allude to classic funnies."—Publishers Weekly
"Colorful and catchy... [a] gleeful cautionary tale."—School Library Journal
"Mr. Creacher's cautionary tales, told in rhyme, are as appealing as Chris Gall's bold, cartoonlike drawings. It's an educational horror story with a happy ending."—USA Today
USA Today
"Mr. Creacher's cautionary tales, told in rhyme, are as appealing as Chris Gall's bold, cartoonlike drawings. It's an educational horror story with a happy ending."
starred review Booklist
* "This is a delicious little shocker of a picture book that ought to whip... crowd[s] of youngsters into a shrieking, laughing frenzy."
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2—Misbehaving kids meet their substitute—a one-eyed, green-tentacled monster that spouts rhyming cautionary tales of mischievous miscreants. There's Keith, who ate so much glue that random objects started sticking to him; Sara, who stuffed her desk so full of junk that it eventually exploded; Chris, a bully who stole candy from other kids and as punishment was turned into…the monster they see before them. As he gives away the last of the candy he stole long ago, the Substitute Creacher sheds his green skin, turning back into a boy and returning to his long-lost home in the past. Gall's illustrations are colorful and catchy with their comic-book style, but the tone of the text veers wildly from gleeful cautionary tale to maudlin sob story, and the result doesn't quite gel.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD
Kirkus Reviews
In this cautionary tale that combines humor and a touch of magic, good behavior is the lesson of the day when a particularly naughty class of students has a substitute teacher.
The seven-tentacled, green substitute teacher, Mr. Creacher speaks in rhyme and glares from his single eye (in front that is; he's got three in back). He regales the class with tales of children who failed to behave in school and the fates that befell them. There's Keith, the glue-eater who stuck to all he touched, Zach, the daydreamer who accidentally ate the class pet, and Kylie, the artist, whose drawing came to life and ravaged the classroom. Then, Beauty and the Beast–like, Mr. Creacher reveals that he himself was a naughty child, put under a spell and sentenced to teach children about their wicked ways. It works—the children promise to reform, and with his debt now repaid, Mr. Creacher can return to his own childhood a changed boy. Gall's illustrations use speech bubbles that drip with green slime and graphic-novel elements to great effect, creating artwork that pops off the pages and appears almost three-dimensional. Touches of humor take the edge off some of the more frightening scenes.
Great for both Halloween and the start of a new school year, this is certain to provide more than a few laughs to kids who have seen through Viola Swamp's disguise.(Picture book. 6-10)
