Edwardo : the horriblest boy in the whole wide world / John Burningham.

Select an Action

Title:

Edwardo : the horriblest boy in the whole wide world / John Burningham.

Author:

Burningham, John

ISBN:

9780375840531

Edition:

1st American ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.

Physical Description:

1 v. (unpaged)

General Note:

Originally published: London : Jonathan Cape, 2006.

Abstract:

Each time he does something a little bit bad, Edwardo is told that he is very bad and soon his behavior is awful, but when he accidentally does good things and is complimented, he becomes much, much nicer.

Subject Term:

Behavior -- Juvenile fiction.

Interpersonal relations -- Juvenile fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Juvenile Picture Book Hardback	120791001672451	J P BUR	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Edwardo is an ordinary boy who does his best to live up to grown-ups' expectations. So when they rant at him for being the clumsiest, noisiest, nastiest, cruelest, messiest, and dirtiest boy in the whole wide world, he becomes all those things with a vengence, thus earning the title of the horriblest boy in the whole wide world. How Edwardo becomes the nicest boy in the whole wide world will be appreciated by ordinary little boys everywhere. John Burningham's amusing illustrations bring a lighthearted touch to the power of positive reinforcement.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 3-A thinly disguised discourse on the dangers of a discouraging word and on living up (or down) to labels. Edwardo appears to be the most ordinary of healthy, energetic boys-full of standard-issue snips and snails and puppy-dog tails-doing the most ordinary of things: making noise and messes, eschewing soap and water, and occasionally being not in the best of tempers. It's only when the negative grown-ups around him assert that he is the noisiest, nastiest, dirtiest boy ever that Edwardo turns terrible. In fact, as long as they already think it, he might as well be "the horriblest boy in the whole wide world." Can a kind word from a thoughtful adult nurture what's nice in little Edwardo (still occasionally dirty, clumsy, noisy, and rude)? You betcha. Fans of Burningham will delight in his witty, winsome pictures, so full of animation and expression, and perhaps all readers will take a second or two to consider the impact of hastily chosen words. An important message with a special delivery.-Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Burningham's (Hushabye) delightfully inverted cautionary tale introduces an "ordinary boy" whose less than exemplary behavior elicits a host of hyperbolic responses that only exacerbate the problem. When Edwardo makes noise, he is called "the noisiest boy in the whole wide world," after which the lad "became noisier and noisier"; when he chases the cat, he is accused of being "the cruelest boy in the whole wide world" and then becomes "more and more cruel." The admonitions culminate in the moniker revealed in the book's subtitleAbut then a series of inadvertent good deeds comically turns the tide of opinion. After Edwardo maliciously tosses a bucket of water over a dog, its owner thanks him for washing his muddy pooch and the boy begins to take care of other people's pets. The clutter that the untidy child tosses out of his bedroom window happens to land in a donations truck and Edwardo is praised for his generosity. Readers may not be surprised but will surely be satisfied when the seemingly reformed Edwardo is finally heralded as "the nicest boy in the whole wide world." Burningham's spare, whimsical watercolors amplify the wry humor of this look at the effects of actions and reactionsAmisguided or not. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Kirkus Review

Burningham definitely has his eye on an adult audience with this take on the effects of positive and negative reinforcement. When a parade of grownups overreacts at young Edwardo's occasional childlike bouts of dirtiness, noise-making and misbehavior, he responds by becoming even dirtier, noisier and so forth. Then he throws a flowerpot down on the ground, and instead of complaining, a passerby compliments him on starting a garden. Similarly, when he douses a dog with water, he gets a commendation rather than a protest--and suddenly his pranks are all turning out for the better, his whole nature changes and he becomes a paragon of good behavior: "THE NICEST BOY IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD." Illustrated with very simply drawn and colored scenes featuring a bristly haired, surly looking lad whose scowls gradually change to smiles as his reputation improves, this is a cautionary tale that children may want to bring to their parents, rather than the other way around. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

With a few words and clear, spacious line-and-watercolor pictures, award-winning British author-artist Burningham expresses a small child's rebellion against overwhelming grown-ups. Edwardo is sometimes a little untidy, cruel, clumsy, noisy, and rude. But when adults overreact and tell him he is the roughest and nastiest of boys, he becomes much, much worse. Then one day, completely by accident, he starts to make good things happen, and everyone loves him. The minimalist art leaves lots of space for kids to imagine themselves as naughty, guilty, and nice. Of course, the trouble is the most fun, but Burningham also manages to make the good boy a hero, with wild scenarios of rescue (Edwardo frightens some escaped lions back into their cages) and love. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2007 Booklist