In just a few lines, Abby has captured almost every possible expression and I adored the depiction of Dory’s imaginary friend Mary. While the story is fun, it is Abby Hanlon’s wonderful black and white illustrations that make this book so special. There are too many incidents to describe (and, besides, that could spoil the enjoyment of the book) but I did particularly love it when Dory gets revenge on the Doctor by giving her a pretend injection with a lollipop stick! My smile emerged in the opening chapter and got wider and wider as the story progressed. We’ve all met this child – the one who has a question about everything, an imaginary friend and a vivid imagination. Author Abby Hanlon clearly understands her main character. This is a delightful story for newly independent readers, especially those with irritating little sisters. Their scheme, however, quickly backfires and they get much more than they bargained for. Violet comes up with the perfect idea – they tell Dory about Mrs Gobble Cracker (a five hundred year old robber who steels baby girls.) They tell Dory that the only way to escape Mrs Gobble Cracker is to stop acting like such a baby. That’s why they decide they’ve got to think of something that will force Dory to grow up. They find her very irritating, from the way she sees monsters everywhere to her constant stream of questions. She’d love to play with her older sister, Violet, and her brother, Luke, but they both think Dory is too much of a baby. (Sept.A delightful story for newly independent readers that’s supplemented by wonderful black and white illustrations.ĭory – known as ‘Rascal’ – is the little one in her family. A closing lineup of staple-bound books, among them When Milk Came Out of My Nose and The Smelly Band-Aid, prove that Ralph has left his writer's block behind. Hanlon's loose, rudimentary watercolor and colored pencil cartoons are as authentically childlike as Ralph's voice literary lions like Olivia and Babar decorate the walls of Ralph's classroom, speech bubbles provide humorous asides, and Ralph's wide, craggy line of a mouth easily conveys frustration, anger, nervousness, and confidence. Eventually, Ralph finds inspiration in a memory of an encounter with an inchworm, and when it comes time to share his story, Ralph's classmates' questions prompt him to wildly embellish it, emphasizing the value of oral storytelling. I've written a ton of stories about you!' (one describes Ralph's nail-painting adventure: 'then the teechr sed oooo no its prmanent marker!').

When Ralph complains that he can't write a story because 'NOTHING happens to me,' his friend Daisy replies, 'Are you kidding?.

While Ralph's classmates eagerly scribble stories, he displays his creativity by finding excuses to leave the room. 'Stories are everywhere!' exclaims Ralph's teacher, and Hanlon proves it in her debut picture book.

Abby hanlon author