[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
J is an amazing young artist who doesn’t like to read.
K is an amazing young writer who couldn’t draw a straight line if his life depended on it.
And they are both entering their school’s annual creating storytelling contest. And that makes them rivals.
J’s confidence wavers when he seems how his friends respond to K’s writing. What if he can’t deliver on a good enough story to compete? J’s friends loved his latest comic, though, which leaves K feeling flustered.
When J tries to subtly get some writing tips from K, K deliberately gives him terrible advice. And J tricks K into using his equally terrible “drawing secrets.” So they both create terrible stories that leave all of the other kids stunned.
Then a game of 2-on-2 basketball shows them what they can accomplish when they team up. What might happen if they tried that for the storytelling contest?
Review
This was fun, and I think kids will enjoy it. The illustrations weren’t 100% complete in my review copy, but what I saw was fun. The tone of the book is sassy, keeping with the rivalry of the two main characters – and the two authors. There are also great moments celebrating art, words, stories, and family. There’s a lot here for readers to enjoy.
There are tons of asides throughout the book from the two authors, Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft. Those could become a distraction for some readers as they break the flow of J and K’s story. Other readers will likely enjoy the banter. I found them distracting, but they did keep the “rivalry” theme up throughout the book.
This would be a great mentor text for readers who love art, writing, and storytelling. And many classroom libraries would be well served by having a couple of copies of this on hand!
Rating: ♥♥♥½*
*♥♥♥½ = Good+