No, David!

 

Shannon, D. (1998.) No, David! New York: Scholastic, Inc.

LS5360: Caldecott and Notable

This book was always a complete crack-up to me because of the illustrations: this is one ugly, naughty boy!  I didn’t realize, until taking a closer look for this class, that the reason the illustrations are a crack-up is because the book is a re-make of a book the author made as a very young boy, when all he knew how to spell was “no” and “David.”  So, the style is very much naïve, as it’s supposed to be like a child would draw and I can vouch that it appeals to kids since all five of ours loved this book (especially the larger than life-sized picture of David picking his nose).  The painterly media (water colors, I think, but perhaps even colored markers) is so rich and the expressions and activities are so vivid, that readers almost feel voyeuristic watching this little boy.  Even drawn in the childish way they are, I still felt just a little tug at my heart when David’s sitting in the corner and has a tear rolling down his cheek and then Momma hugs him and he has the sweetest look on his face.