School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-The Know-Nothings are back for more wacky fun. In the first title, Boris, Morris, Norris, and Doris try to celebrate Halloween, but misunderstandings turn ordinary events into humorous escapades. They never do find "Bob" of "bob for apples" fame, and the best trick they can muster is for Floris the dog to stand on four legs. Their misadventures continue in the second book as they plan a parade and dinner in honor of Thanksgiving. Children will especially enjoy the foursome's attempts to catch a wild turkey by acting wild themselves as well as their unsuccessful attempts to "serve" it. The large print and simple texts are just right for new readers and the three short chapters in each book are perfectly paced with action and humor. The cartoonlike illustrations suit the foolish friends' zany antics. Filled with the silliness that many youngsters love, these easy-readers will serve as additional holiday fare.-Maura Bresnahan, Shawsheen School, Andover, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
The outrageously foolish friends, Boris, Morris, Doris, and Norris, are at it again. They try to celebrate Halloween but can't bob for apples because they don't know anyone named Bob. They try to serve Thanksgiving dinner, but the turkey won't sit still long enough for them to serve him. The whimsical illustrations add visual puns, making these books enjoyable for newly independent readers. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Thanksgiving seems like a fine occasion for celebrationbut as if dressing the salad, mashing the potatoes (with a sledgehammer) and sewing string beans isnt hard enough, literal-minded noodleheads Boris, Morris, Doris, and Norris ( A Know-Nothing Halloween , see above, etc.) discover that theyre supposed to serve a turkey too. First, of course, they have to catch one. Drawn as distinct individuals but sharing a blank expression in Alleys broadly comic illustrations, the quartet troops off to the woods (marked by a sign: The Woods), finally stumbling on to a farm (sign: A Farm) where turkeys can be had. Now comes the challenge of getting the big, frantic, evil-tempered bird home, and, even tougher, getting it to sit down at the table to be served. In the end, they give up, leaving the turkey to fend for itself, giving thanks for having such good friends in each other, and digging in. Amelia Bedelias fans will gobble this up. (Easy reader. 6-8)
Booklist Review
Gr. 1^-2. Boris, Norris, Doris, and Morris (and, of course, the dog, Floris) don't know much, "but they [know] they're friends." In these comical holiday entries in the I Can Read series, the friends show just how goofy they really are. In Talk Turkey, the better of the two books, the friends decide to "serve a turkey for Thanksgiving," so the bird becomes the guest of honor. In Halloween, the buddies learn some tricks and scare themselves. A portrait gallery at the beginning of each book will help new readers keep the characters straight as the conversations heat up and the slapstick begins. Most kids will get the wordplay, the sentence structure is pleasantly uncomplicated, and there's an abundance of action words and sound repetition to enliven the goings-on and make reading them easier. R. W. Alley's cartoon-style artwork adds a layer of inspired mayhem. --Stephanie Zvirin
