The Boy Whose Face Froze Like That

by Lynn Plourde, Russ Cox (Illustrator)

Overview

"Stop it! Your face will freeze like that!"

Wendell is a good kid-he wouldn't make faces if his parents told him not to, even if all his friends were making faces. But what harm would it do to make a funny face in the mirror if no one could see him? A lot of harm! Unlucky Wendell becomes the first kid in history whose face freezes in place!

Wendell, his parents, and his dog try everything to unfreeze his face, but nothing works. Will Wendell ever get his face unfrozen? And what will his family think of him if his face is stuck like that forever? Find out in this charming, silly, and ultimately heartfelt story by dynamic duo Lynn Plourde and Russ Cox.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762493494
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lynn Plourde is the author of more than 30 children's books. Her most recent book, Bella's Fall Coat, got starred reviews in Kirkus Reviews and SLJ. Her first middle-grade novel, Maxi's Secrets (published by Nancy Paulsen), will be reprinted in paperback, and is on the 2017 International Literacy Association Teacher's Choices list, plus 4 state reading award lists. She lives in Winthrop, Maine, with her husband.

Russ Cox is an illustrator who has worked with a number of publishers and studios, including Scholastic and Warner Bros. He is the author-illustrator of Faraway Friends, illustrator on the Puppy Pirates series, and collaborated with Lynn Plourde previously on Merry Moose Christmas. He lives with his wife and four cats in Maine.

Editorial Reviews

2020-01-12
An oft-heard cautionary statement comes true.

Wendell, who's depicted with brown skin and straight black hair in the rather garish art, is a rule follower. "He never once disobeyed his parents," reads the text that introduces the protagonist. The accompanying picture shows him equipped with every imaginable type of protective gear as he uses a skateboard to walk his dog. In an uncharacteristic moment of incredibly mild mischief-making, Wendell makes a silly face in the mirror, and (you guessed it) his "face froze like THAT!" Cox's illustration shows Wendell facing readers, one eye screwed shut and his teeth unnaturally protruding over opposite corners of his top and bottom lips. His parents (also people of color) try to fix his face with a rolling pin and a screwdriver, to no avail. In fact, nothing can seem to thaw his face, and his speech is comically distorted for several pages. Ultimately, it's his own acceptance of his state and his parents' unconditional love that cause him to transform: "We love you…Just the way you are," they say, and: "PF-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-T!…The pressure Wendell felt to be perfect and to follow the rules all the time—it let go." With this letting go, Wendell's face transforms back to his original appearance. The resolution is both heavy-handed and at odds with his parents' easy acceptance—why did he feel so much pressure in the first place?

A funny-enough joke doesn't make a story that sticks. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews