School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Light on plot but heavy on humor, this offering is a series of predicaments strung together to make a story. Various animals, from "Delia the dragon" who "sneezed and burned herself" to "Danny the dalmatian" who "broke out into stripes," get hurt in different, outlandish ways but go to the doctor and get better. The humor is made broader and sillier through the illustrations. Delia is pouting and forlorn, with a red-and-white striped polo shirt burned and smoking on the bottom, as her singed wings droop. Even the edges of the grass are scorched. "Katie the cat," who tries to "chase a mouse through a mouse hole" (while wearing roller skates), emerges with a squared-off body, pulled whiskers, and bandaged nose. Young listeners are sure to giggle at the inventive plights these creatures experience. The book should even make some scraped knees feel better.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
From Cynthia the centipede, who sprained 98 ankles playing field hockey, to Delia the dragon, who sneezed and burned herself, there are plenty of hurt animals in this picture book. They take their medicine and get better--a skimpy plot, but the cartoonish illustrations lend the story humor. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Ages 3^-6. Little kids sick in bed will be cheered by this sprightly, silly picture book that shows lots of different ways that things can go wrong, starting with "Poor Cynthia centipede. She sprained 98 ankles playing field hockey." There's also Danny the Dalmatian, who breaks out in stripes, and Delia the dragon, who sneezes and burns herself. Each of the unfortunate animals appears in an imaginatively designed two-page spread, with the details of the pictures going for ultimate laughs. For instance, Cynthia is stretched across two pages, supported by a stool holding up her middle. Each one of her tiny legs is wrapped in a bandage. The watercolor art is reproduced brightly, so all the fun pops out. The book's concluding message about getting well will reassure children who are ill, but even kids who are as healthy as a horse will enjoy this. --Ilene Cooper
