I Wanna New Room

Illustrated by David Catrow
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
| $24.99 CAN
On sale Dec 02, 2010 | 32 Pages | 9780399254055
Age 5-8 years | Grades K-3
Reading Level: Lexile AD540L
A hilarious companion to I Wanna Iguana that all siblings will relate to.

Ever since their baby sister came along, Alex has been forced to share a room with his little brother, Ethan, and it's a nightmare. Ethan always breaks stuff, snores like a walrus, and sticks crayons up his nose. No hardworking, well-behaved, practically grown-up boy like Alex should have to put up with that!Writing letters to his mom convinced her to let him get his pet iguana, so Alex puts pencil to paper again, this time determined to get his own room. Though all of his powers of persuasion can't get his dad to expand the house, he does come through with a fun alternative to give Alex some space of his own.
"Orloff’s second epistolary tale is just as inventive and enjoyable as the first. Catrow’s distinctive pencil-and-watercolor illustrations elevate the (mostly) realistic exchange in the letters to deliriously preposterous heights. The nearly wordless conclusion is as satisfying as it is unexpected. A sneaky lesson wrapped up in a flaky bundle of fun." —Kirkus Reviews

"Alex and his good-natured dad begin their own guy-to-guy letter exchange . . . [and] the child vs. parent points of view and the sibling rivalry all ring hilariously true. Catrow's zany pencil and watercolor illustrations capture perfectly the madcap daydreams in Alex's head as well as the familiar detritus of a young boy's room. (The iguana still lives there!) A surefire kid-pleaser with a subtle, sweet lesson in peaceful coexistence." —School Library Journal

"The slapstick, sibling anger, and crowding issues are all spot-on." —Booklist
Karen Kaufman Orloff is the author of many books for children including I Wanna Iguana, I Wanna New Room, and I Wanna Go Home, all inspired by her son's pet iguana who quickly grew to be over four feet long and take over his room. She also writes a humorous column on family life every other week for The Poughkeepsie Journal. View titles by Karen Kaufman Orloff
David Catrow is the illustrator of many picture books, including Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon and its sequel, Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon, written by Patty Lovell; I Wanna Iguana and its two companion books, I Wanna New Room and I Wanna Go Home, written by Karen Kaufman Orloff; Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel; The Middle Child Blues by Kristyn Crow; and We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution. He lives in Ohio with his wife, Deborah. View titles by David Catrow

About

A hilarious companion to I Wanna Iguana that all siblings will relate to.

Ever since their baby sister came along, Alex has been forced to share a room with his little brother, Ethan, and it's a nightmare. Ethan always breaks stuff, snores like a walrus, and sticks crayons up his nose. No hardworking, well-behaved, practically grown-up boy like Alex should have to put up with that!Writing letters to his mom convinced her to let him get his pet iguana, so Alex puts pencil to paper again, this time determined to get his own room. Though all of his powers of persuasion can't get his dad to expand the house, he does come through with a fun alternative to give Alex some space of his own.

Reviews

"Orloff’s second epistolary tale is just as inventive and enjoyable as the first. Catrow’s distinctive pencil-and-watercolor illustrations elevate the (mostly) realistic exchange in the letters to deliriously preposterous heights. The nearly wordless conclusion is as satisfying as it is unexpected. A sneaky lesson wrapped up in a flaky bundle of fun." —Kirkus Reviews

"Alex and his good-natured dad begin their own guy-to-guy letter exchange . . . [and] the child vs. parent points of view and the sibling rivalry all ring hilariously true. Catrow's zany pencil and watercolor illustrations capture perfectly the madcap daydreams in Alex's head as well as the familiar detritus of a young boy's room. (The iguana still lives there!) A surefire kid-pleaser with a subtle, sweet lesson in peaceful coexistence." —School Library Journal

"The slapstick, sibling anger, and crowding issues are all spot-on." —Booklist

Author

Karen Kaufman Orloff is the author of many books for children including I Wanna Iguana, I Wanna New Room, and I Wanna Go Home, all inspired by her son's pet iguana who quickly grew to be over four feet long and take over his room. She also writes a humorous column on family life every other week for The Poughkeepsie Journal. View titles by Karen Kaufman Orloff
David Catrow is the illustrator of many picture books, including Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon and its sequel, Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon, written by Patty Lovell; I Wanna Iguana and its two companion books, I Wanna New Room and I Wanna Go Home, written by Karen Kaufman Orloff; Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel; The Middle Child Blues by Kristyn Crow; and We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution. He lives in Ohio with his wife, Deborah. View titles by David Catrow