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Sally and Dave, a Slug Story by Felice Arena

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Pub (March 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1933605715
ISBN-13: 978-1933605715

Sally the slug is the kind of girl…er slug…you love to hate. “She’s sensational at sports. She’s sleek, slim, and simply stunning.” You name it, she can do it superbly from shooting soccer goals to performing spectacular snowboard stunts. Oh, and she’s a little obnoxious in my humble opinion.

Her neighbor, Dave on the other hand is a “common fat slug.” His favorite activities include “sleeping sideways in his own slime…[and] “sidewalk sunbathing in summer.” He’s perfectly happy with his life, until one day, Sally makes a snide and insulting remark. It takes a scary situation and a heroic act for Dave to regain his confidence and for Sally to change her tune about this “slimy slacker” who turns out to be pretty darn “special.”

In addition to the engaging and fast-paced storyline, the cartoonish illustrations are hilarious. In one scene, Dave is in the bathtub sulking about Sally’s comments, a frown on his face, his shoulders hunched, and his googly eyes looking down—a pretty sad scene except “she’s a superfreak…superfreak…” is playing on the radio. Another great scene is of Dave sidewalk sunbathing. He’s wearing sunglasses and a colorful Hawaiian shirt and lounging in a chair with his hands behind his head (do slugs have limbs?). He’s even got a bottle of “Slug Screen” to protect his sensitive slimy skin from the scorching sun.

This book would make a great read aloud for younger children, and definitely cheer anyone up who’s had a particularly grumpy day. If you’re looking for a book that will make your child chuckle,Sally and Dave, a Slug Story would make a perfect choice.

What other bloggers are saying:

Book Buds Kidlit Reviews: “Sally and Dave: A Slug Story begs to be read aloud. Toddlers to emergent readers will enjoy hearing the hiss of the words as they stream by.”

Jen Robinson’s Book Page: “…This is a highly entertaining title that is sure to please preschoolers. I think that the fact that the main characters are slugs, with the hero a boy slug, will make this book especially pleasing to young boys, though I'm sure girls will like it, too.”

I found this interesting review on Amazon.com:

162 of 175 people found the following review helpful:
2.5 out of 5 stars I AM NOT A MONSTER!!! January 30, 2008
By Gonzo the Great "Creative Consultant" (Reno, Nevada) See all my reviews

First let me say that I have great respect for Ed Emberley... but as a weirdo, I felt that it is my duty to say something. People have been making this mistake for far too long... so listen up: Weirdos are not Monsters!!!!



Just look at Emberley's list of so-called "weirdos": Vampire, Goblin, Cat, Monster, Witch, Devil, etc. As you can see, these are monsters, not weirdos. (Except for the cat... because cats are most definitely weird).

Now I'm not saying that weirdos can't be monstrous, because they can. And I'm definitely not saying monsters can't be weird cause there are some doozies out there (take this guy for example).

When it comes down to it, I'm not even sure exactly what weirdos are... but that's beside the point! My point is that weirdos are not necessarily monsters! So, basically, if Emberley changed the name of his book to Ed Emberley's Little Drawing Book of Monsters (Who Also Happen to be Weirdos), then I'd have no problem with it. In fact, I'm tempted to buy it anyways because I can get a used one for only 99 cents... and offensive or not, that's a bargain!!!

Author: Madonna
Illustrator: Jeffrey Fulvimari

4 snooty fashionista teens shun a young classmate because she is too pretty. They make wild assumptions about her based on her looks but (with the help of a particularly bitchy fairy) the 4 girls soon come to see the error of their ways. They learn that pretty girls can have it hard too. (Roll credits and cue the uplifting Kelly Clarkson song!)

The lesson here is an old one: Do not judge a book by its cover. The fact that parents would even consider buying a children's book from an author who once dressed like this:



shows that people are capable of looking past a book's cover... unless, of course, the book is Madonna's Sex which cost a gazillion dollars and came wrapped in a cellophane package. That made it significantly harder to look past the cover, especially if you were under 18 and broke when it came out.

Forward Progress? Note: It is interesting that that book caused such a firestorm of controversy when it first came out in 1994... because by today's standards, the images are actually rather quaint. You'll see more sex in any mainstream grocery store magazine and even today's Abercrombie & Fitch catalogues are more provocative and show more skin.

And the Abercrombie & Fitch website is downright dirty. Seriously, do not click on the site's A&F New Faces link unless you are over 18. (Here is the link. Warning: Kids, Look away. Adults, Do not watch while at work. I didn't want to link to it, but had to because it is so completely ridiculous. When did pornography become mainstream?)