Nit-Pickin'

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From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 3—Children who have experienced an invasion of nits will readily empathize with the dilemma facing the red-haired protagonist in this rollicking look at a lice infestation and the drastic steps one family takes to remove the bugs. Told in verse, using the voice of a young girl who consistently drops her "g's," this humorous tale has a down-home comic charm: "I was scritcha-scratchin'/while a batch-a bugs/was hatchin',/yes, those cooties were/attachin' to my head." The lively text is complemented by the over-the-top antics observed in Booth's cartoon illustrations. The grandmother's facial expressions are particularly giggle-inducing. The top margin of each page is a close-up view of the nit-infested scalp that detail-oriented readers will enjoy studying. Libraries looking for a humorous introduction to the topic will want to consider purchasing this book for a laugh-filled lesson on a common childhood condition.—Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more From Booklist Van Laan’s raucous rhyme is pure slapstick, delivered with a repeated chant (“Cooties were a-crawlin’ / on my head, on my head”), and New Yorker cartoonist Booth’s wild, pen-and-ink, computer-enhanced pictures depict each family member trying a different solution to get rid of a little girl’s lice: Gramma slops on mayo; Gramps pours on kerosene. Finally, the poor child yells at everyone to leave her alone, and her dog brings her the “Rid Nit Shampoo,” which works perfectly: “Nope, no cooties are a-crawlin’ on my head.” The final, hilarious illustration shows tombstones in memory of those itchy nits. The visual and verbal humor here are a great way to deal with the crawly mess, and the information scattered through the book will help, too. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Hazel Rochman Read more About the Author Nancy Van Laan has written many books perfect for reading aloud, including So Say the Little Monkeys; Little Fish, Lost; With a Whoop and a Holler, an American Library Association Notable Book; and the 1990 Parents' Choice Award winner, Possum Come a-Knockin'. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Read more