Savvy listeners of all ages will fall in love with Offill’s gloriously naughty narrator. Ever creative, she is undeterred by each new taboo she encounters.“I had an idea to show Joey Whipple my underpants. I am not allowed to show Joey Whipple my underpants anymore. I had an idea to set Joey Whipple’s shoe on fire using the sun and a magnifying glass. I am not allowed to set Joey Whipple on fire anymore.”
At the end of a busy day of trouble-making, she finally receives approval:
“I had an idea to say the opposite of what I mean to trick everyone. ‘I’m sorry.’ I am allowed to say the opposite of what I mean forevermore.”
While parents may wince at the narrator’s triumph, Carpenter’s sophisticated collage illustrations will appease adult sensibilities. Tots and even teens will appreciate the amusing images of stapled hair, spilled glue, and Delaware-crossing beavers. Mom’s expression as the young narrator attempts to place an order for a different, less vomit-inducing, dinner is a stand-out. Check out 17 Things I’m not allowed to do anymore for that conversation about behavior or just to share a good laugh.
JD
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