Hurry Up, Nicholas! Gilles Tibo. Illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin. Toronto, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2009. 32 pp., pbk., $6.99. ISBN 978-0-545-98946-6. Preschool-grade 3 / Ages 4-8. Review by Christina Neigel. **½/4

excerpt:

On Wednesday, my grandmother stood waiting for me after school.
Hurry up, Nicholas, we’re going to be late!

We went to rock climbing and platform diving, Gregorian chants and modern dance.

On Thursday, my grandfather came to get me.

Hurry up, Nicholas, we’re going to be late!

He took me to indoor target archery, modern circus clownery, a class in Chinese pottery, and embroidery for kids like me.

     He took me to indoor target archery, modern circus clownery, a class in Chinese pottery, and embroidery for kids like me.


     Another tale from the “Nicholas” series, Hurry Up, Nicholas! is the story of a boy whose life is over-scheduled to the extreme. The story begins with Nicholas’s being whisked away after school by his mother for some ordinary activities like karate and violin. As the week progresses, Nicholas’s activities get more and more elaborate. Exhausted after three weeks, Nicholas is unable to get out of bed. His family admits to having made him do too much running around. Unfortunately, for Nicholas, their solution is to have everyone come to him!


     This simple story’s exaggerated situation will likely resonate with families that are all-too-familiar with juggling extracurricular activities. Written in the first person, Nicholas’s story describes his routine with a certain air of indifference until he begins to get sick. The parents seem blissfully unaware of the absurdity of his situation. St-Aubin provides energetic illustrations that capture Nicholas’s increasing fatigue as his grueling schedule moves from day to day.


     Amusing and entertaining, Hurry Up, Nicholas! does a sound job of playing with a very timely topic. In fact, it may be a good resource for families wanting to examine the issues of school/life balance for children.

Recommended.

Christina Neigel is the program head for the Library and Information Technology Program at the University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE- February 20, 2009.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME