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Animal House
Jeremy's teacher Mrs. Nuddles thinks he belongs in a zoo-and she isn't far from the truth. Jeremy lives in an animal house, where refrigergators roam free, floormingoes don't mind being stepped on, and manatee-vees broadcast the news. When Mrs. Nuddles visits Jeremy's house herself, she witnesses the amazing animal house firsthand: the snailbox full of mail, the armapillow happy to let her rest her head, and-unfortunately for Mrs. Nuddles-the vulchair, who might be a bit hungry today. Young readers will delight in the silly wordplay and bright, detailed illustrations of this wild story.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 2010
About the author
Candace Ryan
7 books18 followersCandace Ryan lives and works in a Los Angeles-based toy museum curated by her 5 year-old son. She tinkers with words when she can find her pen in a pile of robots and Japanese monsters.
As head of her department, Candace is in charge of cataloging and organizing the museum’s extensive collection of owl, bat, and octopus toys. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but it sure is rewarding.
In her dwindling free time, Candace prefers splitting infinitives over splitting atoms. Clunky puns give her a splitting headache. And she wishes there was some way to share a banana split with Dr. Seuss and Rene Magritte in a Japanese tea garden.
ANIMAL HOUSE is Candace’s first picture book. Her second book, RIBBIT RABBIT, will be published in 2011 by Walker/Bloomsbury.
As head of her department, Candace is in charge of cataloging and organizing the museum’s extensive collection of owl, bat, and octopus toys. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but it sure is rewarding.
In her dwindling free time, Candace prefers splitting infinitives over splitting atoms. Clunky puns give her a splitting headache. And she wishes there was some way to share a banana split with Dr. Seuss and Rene Magritte in a Japanese tea garden.
ANIMAL HOUSE is Candace’s first picture book. Her second book, RIBBIT RABBIT, will be published in 2011 by Walker/Bloomsbury.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 20, 2014
Basic Plot: A young boy avoids getting in trouble with his teacher after having some unusual problems with getting his homework to school.
This book was definitely unique. For those of you who were worried about me reading a book about frat parties to my young son, you can rest easy. It was filled with visual and verbal animal puns as the entire house was actually made out of animals. Some of the puns were pretty groan-worthy, but to a little kid, that's half the fun. A few were a bit hard to read without tripping over my words, but it was fun nonetheless. The art is also really stellar in this book as the animals and people come to life in vivid color on the page. An excellent find.
This book was definitely unique. For those of you who were worried about me reading a book about frat parties to my young son, you can rest easy. It was filled with visual and verbal animal puns as the entire house was actually made out of animals. Some of the puns were pretty groan-worthy, but to a little kid, that's half the fun. A few were a bit hard to read without tripping over my words, but it was fun nonetheless. The art is also really stellar in this book as the animals and people come to life in vivid color on the page. An excellent find.
September 28, 2015
This book had amazing illustrations and a fun play on words. I enjoyed how the pictures took up the whole page, and they were very detailed. This book also used a lot of puns that would be fun for children to read and pick up on. This was a silly story that I think a lot of children would enjoy reading. Even as and adult I still had fun reading it. It kept me interested on how the author was going to use their words. The illustrations and the descriptive words worked so well together. Awesome book!
December 16, 2019
This book is chock-full of very creative ideas!
October 9, 2015
This string of silly puns works pretty well, and would make for a fun one-off read-aloud. Hale's wild use of cinematic camera framing brings much more to the experience than the puns would alone. (Hard to get the pun in ze-bras until you see the picture!) The puns themselves demand an almost fully corresponding relationship between those specific pictures and words, but Hale uses the rest of the frame to have lots of fun with making this animal house dynamic and engaging. I am likely to go back in and look at the details around the puns--there's an Escher-like spread early on about the 5th or 6th spread that really makes the house fun to look at. Then there's a spread near the end where all the animals in the house (the floormingos included) pour toward the round porthole of the front condoor, following the vulchair that has taken off with the teacher--really nice work leading my eyes! Some good fun at the teacher's expense, and kudos to Candace Ryan both for not taking herself so seriously, and also for casting the child with the imagination as the hero! This book idea could have gone very badly, and I was worried when I first looked at it, but then was pleasantly surprised.
I've reviewed Nathan Hale's historical graphic novels, and it was fun to see his strong picturebook work from just a bit earlier!
I've reviewed Nathan Hale's historical graphic novels, and it was fun to see his strong picturebook work from just a bit earlier!
January 4, 2012
I really really wanted to like this book. I got it for free from goodreads (thank you so much) and it looked like a fun book. However, I found it kind of weird and a bit too much. The illustrator was obviously very talented, but the whole book just kind of weirded me out. I think it might grow on me though and I will be giving it to my kids for Christmas, so I guess the true test will be to see how often they want to read it, or if it gives them nightmares...
Edited to up the rating: So my kids love this book. It doesn't give them nightmares and they want to read it a lot. It has actually grown on me too and it's not as bad as I originally thought.
Edited to up the rating: So my kids love this book. It doesn't give them nightmares and they want to read it a lot. It has actually grown on me too and it's not as bad as I originally thought.
November 4, 2010
My kids sunk into this book and screeched out every pun (as did at least one of the other librarians at work). The endpapers alone, illustrated with some of the items that are in Nathan's illustrations but not mentioned in Candace Ryan's text, took them an hour to get through. This is a book with a broad age range.
Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...
Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...
May 10, 2011
I know other reviews have said this is for young readers but my 4-year-old didn't understand it and I had to stop to explain everything.
For example:
windodo = window is really a dodo
floormingos = floor made out of flamingos
armapillows = an armadillo used as a pillow
kangaroom = bedroom inside a kangaroo
hampster = hamper for dirty clothes
refigergator = alligator that is a refridgerator
lamprey = lamp that is an eel
giroof = the giraffe is the roof
For example:
windodo = window is really a dodo
floormingos = floor made out of flamingos
armapillows = an armadillo used as a pillow
kangaroom = bedroom inside a kangaroo
hampster = hamper for dirty clothes
refigergator = alligator that is a refridgerator
lamprey = lamp that is an eel
giroof = the giraffe is the roof
August 1, 2010
I would have loved to have been in Candace Ryan's head when she was dreaming up this story. Imagine a house that is somewhat "alive". The computer monitor is a lizard and the chair is a "vulchair" and well there are many more animal blends in this wacky home. Kids will love the illustrations of Nathan Hale that truly bring the text to life.
July 30, 2010
Jeremy's Animal House includes modifications (or should I say adaptations?) like a computer monitor lizard, floormingos, and refrigergator. When his vulchair eats his homework, Jeremy's teacher, Mrs. Nuddles schedules a home visit with surprising results. The Animal House will delight readers as they figure out the animal and furniture combinations.
November 8, 2014
My kids (especially my 6-year old) got a real kick out of the punny house parts - floormingos, for example. It's pretty clever, how many items Ryan came up with... This book is requested over and over. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because the plot clearly exists only as a vehicle for the clever puns.
August 31, 2010
This book is ingenious. It took me two reads to get the lingo since animals are household objects (kangaroom, manatee-vee, refrigergator, etc.) including a teacher-eating vulchair. The illustrations are crisp and the story funny!
November 17, 2010
I received this book for free from the Goodreads Firstread giveaway. Great childrens book! Just what I would have loved when I was a kid. Really fun word play. I don't have any children but I'm going to pass this on to a friend with kids.
June 2, 2011
This is a really fun children's book and one that I would actually buy. All of the kids liked it even the older kids. Daniel read it at least once a day for the two weeks that we had it from the library and then he would just look through it at all the pictures.
March 2, 2012
(4.5 stars)
Jeremy's teacher Mrs. Muddles decides to pay a house visit after hearing stories from him such as his vulchair eating his homework. She always thought he belonged in a zoo, but she didn't realize how close to the truth that was.
Jeremy's teacher Mrs. Muddles decides to pay a house visit after hearing stories from him such as his vulchair eating his homework. She always thought he belonged in a zoo, but she didn't realize how close to the truth that was.
July 22, 2010
Paging John Belushi!
August 31, 2010
Good kids book, we are passing this book around on the school bus to keep the kids occupied on the ride home.
September 2, 2010
I can't decide if this is clever or creepy. I think it was the "slice of magpie" in particular that makes me a little uncomfortable; is it smiling? But seriously, a very intriguing book.
September 17, 2010
ever wonder what happens when you live in a house built with animals? Your homework gets eaten alot.
November 6, 2010
I am so excited. I received this as a good reads give away. I think my kids will love it. Can't wait to get it
September 3, 2013
Fantastically creative!
January 6, 2011
Silly, the interesting play on words really makes you think.
November 1, 2011
fun, tongue twisting read-a-loud :)
February 6, 2012
I rate this book because I haven't read it and because of other people's reviews.
May 3, 2012
I adored this book! I have no doubts this would have been. I have no doubt this would have been my favorite as a child.
October 1, 2012
Very, very clever. I especially loved the zebras.
October 30, 2013
Loved the author's imagination of animals to things we find at home. It would be a fun book to share with children for small group reading.
September 11, 2014
Great for one of my son's 3rd grade book reports
January 25, 2016
Funny book with many plays on words - may be tough for young children to understand.
June 20, 2016
It was funny.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews