From the Publisher
"This will be much appreciated by any youngsters who’s tried and failed to not crack up in a serious situation . . . Youngsters who appreciated Eliopoulos’ previous foray into the personification of the feels in The Yawns Are Coming! will relish this livelier tale." —BCCB
"This could be the book that gets all the giggles out for restless children . . . great pacing and a keen understanding of what tickles children make this a choice to consider closely." —School Library Journal
School Library Journal
06/25/2021
K-Gr 2—The narrator, a short Black kid, and best friend Noodles, a little taller and white, are dressed in hoodies and sneakers and ready for the first day of school. They plan to have a great year. In their first moments after storing their stuff in cubbies, they are greeted by Ruby, and settle in to meet Miss Terri, a blonde teacher with a ponytail. When she starts to explain her personal preferences to the group—"I don't like pickles, but I do like cucumbers"—all the narrator hears is "pickle butts" and that brings on the giggles. In the turn of the page, dozens of small thumb-like creatures with funny faces have surrounded the children, and although they try to whistle, ignore, and seek distractions, the giggles have arrived, and they are pretty unstoppable. Miss Terri scolds the increasingly helpless students, but lets out a guffaw herself. One of the last scenes, in art that resembles Mike Dawson's hilarious comic style for graphic novels, shows everyone in the classroom flat on their backs. Aspects of this story will remind readers of that old saw, "You had to be there." But in the right hands at story hours, this could be the book that gets all the giggles out for restless children. VERDICT A one-joke story, but great pacing and a keen understanding of what tickles children make this a choice to consider closely.—Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal
Kirkus Reviews
2021-05-19
In this companion to The Yawns Are Coming! (2020), the first day of a new school year brings an attack of the giggles.
Our narrator, a small Black child, is anticipating a fun new year, with best friend Noodles as a classmate. They meet a new friend, Ruby, and do some exploring in the classroom. They are listening to their teacher when the narrator whispers something silly to Noodles. That’s when it happens. All of a sudden, the giggles are coming! A crowd of small, yellow monsters surrounds the three friends, who try, wide-eyed, to resist. Hiding from them doesn’t work. Neither does ignoring them. One by one, the friends fall to the influence of the giggles. And then there’s an enormous guffaw, the flying chuckles, and a giant, rolling laugh. By the time these monsters are through with the classroom, everyone is rolling on the floor laughing. As with The Yawns Are Coming!, the premise of this story is familiar to many. Unlike The Yawns, however, it is harder to get invested in this story and feel the power of the humor. Eliopoulos’ cartoon illustrations of a fairly diverse classroom (Noodles, Ruby, and the teacher all present White, however) are engaging enough to keep the pages turning. Perhaps the giggles are just a bit too obvious, making this book fall flat for all but the silliest of readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
May induce chuckles for some. (Picture book. 3-7)
