Shorty & Clem Blast Off!

by Michael Slack, Michael Slack (Illustrator)

Overview

The energetic and zany duo Shorty and Clem are back, and this time they learn all about working together! A fresh and dynamic friendship story featuring a spirited dinosaur and a cranky but loving bird.

Clem can’t wait to assemble his brand-new rocket ship kit. If all goes right, he’ll blast it off! Vroom!

“It looks like you need my help,” observes Shorty.

“That’s okay, Shorty. I’ve got this,” says Clem.

Even though Clem is sure he doesn’t need help, it turns out that he really does!

From the creator of the award-winning app Scruffy Kitty, Michael Slack, Shorty & Clean Blast Off! is perfect for fans of Jory John’s Goodnight Already, Chris Haughton’s books, and Mo Willems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062421593
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/31/2018
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michael Slack has written and illustrated Shorty & Clem, Monkey Truck, Wazdot?, and Elecopter. He is also the illustrator of the popular Nugget & Fang by Tammi Sauer. At home in the Bay Area, Michael enjoys making art, designing characters, and creating books. He has also produced board games, card games, 100-piece puzzles, and the award-winning app Scruffy Kitty. Find him at www.slackart.com.

Michael Slack has written and illustrated Shorty & Clem, Monkey Truck, Wazdot?, and Elecopter. He is also the illustrator of the popular Nugget & Fang by Tammi Sauer. At home in the Bay Area, Michael enjoys making art, designing characters, and creating books. He has also produced board games, card games, 100-piece puzzles, and the award-winning app Scruffy Kitty. Find him at www.slackart.com.

Editorial Reviews

With sophisticated pacing that practically guarantees chuckles, this should find fans with both older listeners and emergent readers alike. Sometimes peace and quiet just isn’t in the cards…and that isn’t always a bad thing.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2018-03-27
The odd couple introduced in Shorty & Clem (2017) wrangle over a rocket kit.The broad contrast in personalities between dinosaur Shorty and avian buddy Clem fuels this follow-up. Loud, extroverted, and unwilling to take "no" for an answer, Shorty really, really wants to help the quieter, more serious, and increasingly annoyed Clem assemble the model: "Come on, Clem. Please! Please! Please! Please!" Clem's shouted "I do not need help!" finally drives the demanding dino away—but not for long, as a "CRASH!" leaves Clem, who is too short to set the rocket's nose cone in place, sitting tearfully amid wreckage. "I need help." What Clem gets is a comforting hug, then an assist from Shorty's "handy bendy tail" to set the rocket to rights. Slack tells the tale in dialogue (with a few added sound effects), and he floats his chunky figures against a pale blue, blank background, which has the effect of focusing attention on their expressively drawn faces. With sophisticated pacing that practically guarantees chuckles, this should find fans with both older listeners and emergent readers alike.Sometimes peace and quiet just isn't in the cards…and that isn't always a bad thing. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews