Fix This Mess!

January 15, 2014
A "remote operating basic utility gizmo"--call him Robug for short--comes to clean Jake the dog's mess, turning the house into hash in the process. Arnold is always a bit of a wild man, and he brings that vibrancy here in both a narrative straining at its compression--"I will fix this mess!" is Robug's refrain--and an artwork of inviting tactility. Readers would gladly dive into one of those plush chairs, even if they are covered with junk. Robug is a close kin to one of those swimming-pool cleaners that crawls contentedly about on the bottom. Robug, though, is a catastrophic dust storm, moving the mess from room to room to roof without ever getting anything put away. Finally, with a look in its eye like a teacher who isn't going to take any more guff, Robug gets Jake cracking. This is a good, simple and funny tale, a pleasing eyeful working on a familiar motif: the sweep-it-under-the-rug style of cleaning, the cram-it-in-the-closet or shove-it-under-the-bed approach to household management, even the old shove-it-around-on-the-plate trick to pretend you at least tried the cold rutabaga salad. It hits the spot for beginning readers, and read-alongs are welcome, perhaps inevitable. An inept commander and his clueless robot--there are lots of satisfying possibilities there, and Arnold taps into them. (Early reader. 4-8)

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April 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-Jake thinks that at a robot named ROBUG (Remote Operating Basic Utility Gizmo) is the answer to his prayers until it takes his instructions all too literally. What was intended to be a time-saving device becomes the source of several mix-ups and mayhem, and, ultimately, makes more work for Jake than he started with. Arnold, the author of Dirty Gert (Holiday House, 2013) and the "Fly Guy" books (Scholastic), continues to demonstrate his understanding of children's humor through his simple but clever dialogue and hilarious artwork. Fix This Mess can be read independently or aloud, and the action-packed images will work perfectly for storytime. The cartoon illustrations were drawn on a Wacom Cintiq HD drawing tablet and digitally edited but still incorporate Arnold's self-characterized "controlled scribbles" to fill in the pictures. A fun read for everyone, the mantra "I will fix this mess" will be repeated in well-practiced robot voices by children, teachers, and parents alike.-Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Jake turns Robug ("Remote Operating Basic Utility Gizmo") on and commands it to "fix this mess." Robug energetically fires into action, but things don't quite turn out right. Funny details in Arnold's characteristic cartoon-style illustrations build momentum from page to page, and the vocabulary is simple enough to allow the newest readers to enjoy it all on their own.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2014
With a picture book trim size, this story designed to meet the needs of new readers features one sentence per page in a large font and with plenty of repetition. The plot starts on the title page with a picture of a stained armchair piled with clothes, sporting equipment, spilled food, and a cat. Turn the page, and the copyright page shows a delivery van speeding away from a mysterious package. Combined with the dynamic illustrations in Arnold's characteristic cartoon style, even the first neutral line, "Robug came in a box," delivers both anticipation and foreboding. Jake turns Robug on and commands it to "fix this mess." The "Remote Operating Basic Utility Gizmo" energetically fires into action, but the well-equipped little weevil-shaped machine only moves the mess from place to place. After a few attempts, Jake tries a new approach: "Get rid of this mess!" That doesn't quite turn out right, either, and before long the tables are turned, with Robug giving directives and Jake holding the broom. Funny details, such as where the cat lands, build momentum from page to page, and the vocabulary is simple enough to allow the newest readers to enjoy it all on their own. julie roach

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)