The Stupids Have a Ball by Harry Allard (1978) is a book I can’t imagine publishing in 2026. Mr. and Mrs. Stupid are thrilled when their children fail every class in school. James Marshall dresses young Petunia in a dress with a pattern of incorrect addition equations: 4+2=7, 2+2=5, 6-6=12, and so on. Buster wears a shirt that has a large 0 on the front. The parents have a party to celebrate. The dog and cat make punch; the picture implies this punch has tuna, pepper, catsup, and glue in it. Since it's a costume party, Stupid wears a General George Washing Machine outfit. Mrs. Stupid dresses up in spaghetti. The dog is The Bone Ranger. Extended family arrive wearing a variety of silly clothes. There is a bit of a surprise ending.
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Molly and the Sword by Robert Shlasko, (1996) is unoriginal and tedious. Molly is a good daughter who demonstrates qualities one mi...
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Frederick by Leo Lionni values the imagination. While Frederick's family gathers food supplies for the winter, Frederick sit...