You Must Be This Tall

by Steven Weinberg, Steven Weinberg (Illustrator)

Overview

Two friends—one short and one tall—must come up with a plan to overcome a serious height restriction so they can ride a roller coaster together in this delightfully cheeky and bright picture book from the author of Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg!

Best friends Frank and Harold do everything as a pair. And at the fair, they want to ride the roller coaster together, too! But one of them isn’t tall enough.

Can this energetic duo think outside the box and figure out a way to overcome the height restriction and ride the roller coaster? Find out in this adorable picture book that celebrates the value of friendship and encourages problem solving from Steven Weinberg.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481429818
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	03/08/2016
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,083,876
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD260L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Steven Weinberg loves to draw and write. He is the author and illustrator of Fred and the Lumberjack, Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg!, You Must Be This Tall, and the illustrator of Beard Boy. He lives in the Catskills, where this book takes place. Learn more at StevenWeinbergStudio.com.

Steven Weinberg loves to draw and write. He is the author and illustrator of Fred and the Lumberjack, Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg!, You Must Be This Tall, and the illustrator of Beard Boy. He lives in the Catskills, where this book takes place. Learn more at StevenWeinbergStudio.com.

Editorial Reviews

With his thick, sloppy, ripply purple lines and desert Day-Glo palette, Weinberg…packs in the action, as well as a sweet reminder that true friends stick together even when circumstance might pry them apart.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

With his thick, sloppy, ripply purple lines and desert Day-Glo palette, Weinberg (Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg!) packs in the action, as well as a sweet reminder that true friends stick together even when circumstance might pry them apart.

The New York Times

This exuberant romp includes joyous, over-the-top illustrations. The roller coaster loops and swoops, mimicking serpentine coils, and the pages alternate between horizontal and vertical views. Frank and Harold’s creative problem-solving…. [is]perfectly in sync with the theme of best buddies having a wonderful time at the fair. This tale of friendship will make for a rambunctious read-aloud.

Booklist Online

"This cheeky book delighted my children so much that they made me read it three times in a row. It has become a staple of our bedtime routine."

Joanna Goddard

With his thick, sloppy, ripply purple lines and desert Day-Glo palette, Weinberg (Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg!) packs in the action, as well as a sweet reminder that true friends stick together even when circumstance might pry them apart.

The New York Times

02/01/2016
PreS-Gr 3—At the fair, two snakes can't wait to take a ride on the Rattler Roller Coaster. When they slither up to the entrance, Harold falls short of the height requirement. Frank comes to his pal's aid with some inventive disguises, including a trench coat built for two, horned-rim glasses, and a phony mustache, but the pot-bellied pig carnival barker shrewdly sees through their ruses and denies them admittance. Frank also tries to stretch and pull Harold taller, all no avail. Weinberg's digitally enhanced watercolor and pencil cartoon illustrations are full of energy and movement. Readers turn the pages vertically to see how Harold measures up after each kooky scheme. Disappointment isn't all the sneaky snakes swallow, and they find a way to ride the roller coaster of their dreams. VERDICT An irreverent punch line adds surprise and a last belly laugh.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

2016-01-20
Tongue-in-cheek humor explores that age-old conundrum facing every child who is too short to ride some exciting attraction. Frank and Harold are best buddies enjoying a day at the fair. They are "slammin'! Ridin'! Spinnin'! Bouncin'!" But this fun cannot compare to that to be had on the Rattler, a big, twisty roller coaster that lights up their eyes and sets their hearts to racing. But to ride, they have to get past the pig in the bow tie and top hat with the measuring stick. Frank, a long, skinny, striped snake, has height to spare, but Harold, a short rattlesnake, does not. Suddenly the fair is not so much fun. But Frank won't give up on the dream of riding the Rattler together. While his first two plans fail—a disguise and stretching on the flying trapeze—he still has one trick up his sleeve…or is that down his gullet? (And it doesn't involve platform shoes.) Bright candy-colored watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations capture the flavor of a fair, spots and double-page spreads used to great effect, and readers must rotate the book 90 degrees every time Harold tries to measure up next to an increasingly angry pig. Unfortunately, Weinberg never addresses the need for height requirements on amusement rides, even in an author's note, leaving readers feeling that the rule is arbitrary and can be circumvented. Humorously speaks to kids' frustrations but doesn't support rule-following. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews