CRANKY PANTS
by Lucia Gunzel
Illustrated by Louis J. Forgione
Self-Published, 2010
Cranky Pants, the self-published 1st book from PA author Lucia Gunzel, features a pair of prickly P.O.ed pants, is sprinkled with poetic imagery, and is pleasantly devoid of a climatic gimmick.
Matlida Mae, the short story’s agitated protagonist, woke up in a foul mood but needs only a reflective moment alone to discover that her nasty outlook is unwarranted. Without an adult-ordered ‘time out’ and nary a “why are you so miserable?” question, Matilda is left to solve her own grumpiness issue and get on with her day. Matilda’s family neither accommodates her mood nor do they run away from it. It simply IS, and Matilda must understand that the world cannot and will not halt for her and her crankiness.
If there’s a moral to Cranky Pants, it’s this: It is perfectly fine to be unhappy as long as you still function in a civil manner and accomplish your tasks (fixing a kite, feeding your pet, carrying fresh veggies into the kitchen) along the way. Not a bad message to those who fancy themselves the center of the universe.
Your kids are going to love the sassy yet fun ‘tude Matilda struts around with early on. You’re gonna appreciate the tone of the story, the independent resolution, and casually elegant prose like: “Matilda sat next to her window and watched a tree sway in the breeze. Usually, she enjoyed the way the sun and the leaves played together in the wind”.
Cranky Pants is a refreshing book from a wonderful new voice in kid’s literature.
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