Jazzbo and Googy: Jazzbo & Googy - Hardcover

Matt Novak has been writing and illustrating picture books for over 20 years.

Among his many titles are A Wish for You, The Everything Machine, Flip Flop Bop, The Pillow War, The Last Christmas Present, and Elmer Blunt’s Open House.

His Mouse TV was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and Newt received an IRA Children’s Choice Award.

Matt has been a puppeteer, a teacher, and a Disney artist. While at Disney he worked on such films as “Rescuers Down Under” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

He and his family now live in Pennsylvania.

PreS-K-The charming little bear first introduced in Jazzbo Goes to School (Hyperion, 1999) returns for another adventure. This story deals with the common childhood fear of not being able to make friends. Googy makes big messes, ruins paintings, and pushes others just a little too high on the swings. However, when the bumbling pig rescues Jazzbo's best friend-his teddy-from a mud puddle, a new friendship is forged. Children will see parts of themselves in the overly enthusiastic porcine and find this tale to be reassuring. Colorful cartoons surrounded by plenty of white space depict the cuddly, humanlike animals and add greatly to the story. The goofiness of some of the pictures is appealing: one illustration of Googy with soap bubbles on his face and hat will have youngsters laughing out loud. The sparse text makes this a perfect read-aloud.-Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA

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