If you have small children, you need to check out author/illustrator David Shannon. He has written several books for small children, and even for babies. In addition to writing and illustrating his own books, he illustrates for other authors.

About the Author:
I chose as the first book by Shannon to review is No, David! Shannon has written a series of books about David, and the problems he faces by often making bad behavior choices. In the end, it always comes out that the love of whomever Imother, teacher) is affirmed, and all is well with David.

About the Book:
In this story, a young David continually misbehaves -- and continually hears from his mother, no! What child hasn't had those days? Come to think of it, I have had those days as an adult. In the end, the love shared by mother/child is reaffirmed when David's mom tells him, "Yes David, I love you." Thus proving to children that all children have bad days, just as all mothers love their children, even when they make bad decisions.

There is an author's note included with No, David!, that this book was created from a book that Shannon had written as a child. The text of his childhood book consisted only of the words no and David, which were the only words he knew how to spell at the time!

My Take:
My children loved this book when they were small. Some of the behavior choices made by David mirrored things that they had done themselves, thus bringing it a bit closer to home. They especially loved the nose picking (which they were guilty of doing themselves) and running down the street naked (which they never tried). The artwork in this book is interesting to say the least. My boys thought the artwork was awesome, with more like fangs than teeth and claws than hands, David’s almost scary looking self portraits of himself as a young child. The word usage is simplistic -- so that children think they are big kids, because they can read this book.

I have the hardback, which is rather expensive. I suggest checking it out of the library first to see if it is something you want to add to your library. Some people think because the writing is so simplistic that it is too babyish for paper pages. I don't think so though.