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Summary
Summary
Saturdays are usually nothing but fun in the Small household. Cleo and her twin brother, Jack, always play games, torture their older sister, and then bike to the best Candy store in town. But this Saturday is different. Jack decided to Spider-Man up the toy shelf and made the whole thing tip over. And one of the things that flew off hit Cleo in the head, making her bleed and everything. As her mom sings:
?Your story's kinda gory, but it has a moral, which is:
Beware a day that starts out normal. It might end in stitches!?
Cleo's unique voice and lively narration will pull chapter book readers into her amusing stories of life in a big family that has many uh-oh moments.
Author Notes
Jessica Harper is an award-winning actress with numerous film, theatre and television roles to her credit. She's perhaps best known for co-starring roles in such films as Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories," "Pennies From Heaven," with Steve Martin and "My Favorite Year" with Peter O'Toole. Her recordings for children have won many awards, including multiple Parents' Choice Gold Awards and NAPPA awards. When Rounder Records released Harper's latest recording, "Inside Out," in 2001, the LA Times said "...children's music doesn't get better than this." In addition, Harper has written several books for children, including "I Forgot My Shoes" and "I Like Where I Am" from Penguin Putnam.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-3-With a twin brother, Jack, as well as other siblings, and an assortment of toys that live in her special Toy House, eight-year-old Cleo always has someone to pal around with and something to do. When Jack decides to climb the toy house, causing it to fall over, one of the toys hits Cleo in the head, landing her in the hospital for stitches. This new experience in young Cleo's life is a memorable one, and it's made more impressionable by her loving family. Comical family situations are reminiscent of Eleanor Estes's Moffats (although this book is not as long), and Cleo is comparable to Sally Warner's Emma. Playful ink illustrations and large font make it a natural choice for those readers bounding into the world of beginning chapter books. Cleo will appeal to kids who've enjoyed Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones, Susan Beth Pfeffer's Sara Kate, or Sheila Greenwald's Rosy Cole.-Jennifer Cogan, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Cleo, one of six siblings, recalls the events of "Stitches Saturday." It starts out like any other day, but ends with Cleo getting nine stitches in her scalp after her twin, Jack, accidentally knocks over their toy shelf. Cleo's telling is calm and measured, especially given the subject matter. The black-and-white illustrations are similarly innocuous, with nothing gory depicted. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
If you want to get an eight-year-old to tell a story, ask him if he has ever been to the emergency room or had an accident. Then settle back and listen to the whole story, from the very beginning. That's how Cleo tells the gory story of Stitches Saturday. It begins way before the main event, but that only adds to the fun of anticipation. Cleo and her twin, Jack, are part of a family of eight having a regular old Saturday filled with toys and games and little songs from Mom. Things just go better when Mom is humming a little tune and making up the words, even if the words are about stitches. Though the story takes place in modern Winnetka, it has a timeless feel to it. With pen-and-ink illustrations on each spread, lots of white space around the generous font and a universal story including blood and a trip to the ER and comforting parents, this will appeal to new chapter-book readers. Short, sweet and easy-to-read. A sure hit. (Fiction. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* In this delightful chapter book, eight-year-old Cleo Small relates the tale of Stitches Saturday, the memorable day her father calls just another Small disaster, one of many mild calamities that a family with six children comes to expect. When Cleo's twin brother climbs up the toy shelves in their room, the unit topples and an unidentified flying object bonks Cleo on the head. Returning home from the doctor's, she has a Stitches Saturday party, complete with food, dance, song, and her Halloween princess dress. Told from Cleo's point of view, the story is studded with observations, incidents, and conversations that reflect true-to-life sibling relationships and realistic individual foibles. There's little real conflict, but the book's freshness and gentle humor and the economy and finesse of the writing set it apart from most beginning chapter books. Large type, spacious design, and appealing drawings add to the accessibility. A rewarding choice for independent reading or for adults to read aloud.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
