Stella Louella's Runaway Book

by Lisa Campbell Ernst, Lisa Campbell Ernst (Illustrator)

Overview

Join Stella Louella as she races through the streets of her town to find and return her missing library book before the due date.

Studious Stella Louella is frantically trying to find her missing library book, so she can return it before the due date passes.

Looking every place she can imagine, Stella ends up visiting everyone in town, from the people at the fix-it shop, the diner, the police station, the scouts, and each neighbor in between.

“From the start of this cheerful cumulative tale, Ernst gives youngsters crowded spreads chock-a-block with amusing particulars.” – Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689844607
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	09/01/2001
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	891,389
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lisa Campbell Ernst has written and illustrated many popular children's books, including The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book; Hannah Mae O'Hannigan's Wild West Show; Goldilocks Returns, her own version of "Little Red Riding Hood"; and Stella Louella's Runaway Book. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, Lee, and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Allison.

Lisa Campbell Ernst has written and illustrated many popular children's books, including The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book; Hannah Mae O'Hannigan's Wild West Show; Goldilocks Returns, her own version of "Little Red Riding Hood"; and Stella Louella's Runaway Book. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, Lee, and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Allison.

Editorial Reviews

From the start of this cheerful cumulative tale, Ernst (Bubba and Trixie) gives youngsters crowded spreads chock-a-block with amusing particulars. Cereal spills from an overturned box, macaroni tumbles out of the cupboard and a marmalade-hued cat takes refuge in the arms of Stella Louella's father as the girl feverishly tears apart the kitchen in search of her missing library book--due by five o'clock that day. She consults her brother, Sam, who left it by the mailbox, which leads her to their letter carrier, who picked it up with the mail and left it at the house on the corner. He then joins the growing search party, which continues to increase as each person Stella queries directs her to someone else. The parade eventually winds its way to the library with just five minutes to go, where the kind librarian announces she had already found the book--on a bench outside the building. Aside from the bustling cartoon artwork, what distinguishes this rather predictable tale is the spectrum of voices Ernst works into her narrative. Each character chimes in a reaction to the book based on his or her occupation or interest and simultaneously offers clues to its identity. The back cover and front flap carry a clever rubber stamp-like message: "Whatever you do, don't lose this book!" Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

K-Gr 2-"On Saturday morning, Stella's library book disappeared, as if in a magic act." So begins this rollicking tale of visual clues and reader anticipation as a cavalcade of characters retrace their steps throughout town in order to locate the child's book. Clues to the name of the missing title are cleverly concealed in the dialogue and pictures, making this a great story for reading out loud. The search party eventually winds up at what appears to be a dead end-a bench at the corner of Tenth and Walnut. However, this happens to be right in front of the library, so Stella and crew walk inside to break the news to the librarian, whom, they discover, has the book. The day is saved. From the front cover of a library card and date-due slips to the fly papers of packed bookshelves to the borders of due-date labels framing each page, this book exudes the familiarities of readers and libraries. Ernst's homey illustrations, rendered in soft pastels and pencils, are in perfect unison with the lively tone of the story. Children will enjoy studying each page for clues and hidden jokes. Order two copies-one for reading out loud (try pairing it with Suzanne Williams's Library Lil [Bantam, 1993] for a fun literary duo) and one for constant checkout.-Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Sousa Elementary School, Port Washington, NY

School Library Journal

This cumulative tale from Ernst (Duke the Dairy Delight Dog, 1996, etc.) features Stella, who is all in a dither because she has misplaced her library book. Her father starts the ball rolling when he asks, "Think. Where did you have it last?" The hammock, hoots Stella, but when she and her father get there they learn that Stella's brother has left the book on the front porch. The three of them rush to the porch only to find that the mailman gave the book to a girl down the street. The four of them, and all the rest who join them, go on a merry chase around town; Stella gets increasingly frantic, and the crowd grows arithmetically. The book is finally located and Stella's name is still good with Mrs. Graham, the librarian (Stella's fear of her may be the only overworked element in the story). Treasure hunts are always fun, and this one is made all the more so by the hints that are dropped about the book's identity. Everyone who reads it likes it, for humorously self-serving reasons, e.g., the diner owner likes the bit about porridge, the fix-it woman likes the part about the broken chair, the new mother likes the notion of a nap. As usual, Ernst's big, comic illustrations stage the action beautifully, advancing the text and supplying plenty of funny details to pore over. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews