Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Fleatastics by Lisa Desimini -- OPTIONAL

Desimini, Lisa The Fleatastics. PICTURE BOOK. Boyds Mills Press (Highlights), 2017. $16.95. Content: G.

Sarafleana's parents think that she and her siblings could make the perfect flea circus act, but Sarafleana isn't into their coordinated routine; all she wants to do is jump as high as she possibly can.

While the premise is fun, there is a lot going on in this book to the point where it feels messy and confusing. There are fleas and fun facts and dialogue and inner monologues all over the place. Because of the many asides, it would be difficult to read this one aloud with any sort of fluidity, but the small font and many challenging words (e.g. maternity, antihistamine, hypoallergenic) would likely be far beyond most young readers' skill levels for reading to themselves. In addition, the story and its ending simply didn't resonate as strongly as I would have liked, leaving me with a "meh" feeling rather than satisfaction.

EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

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