Review - The Fall Festival

The Fall Festival (Little Critter Readers)
by Mercer Mayer
Date: 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Join Little Critter and his family on their exciting road trip to the Fall Festival From apple picking to hayrides, discover how fun the harvest season can be.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I don't know. Maybe Little Critter just isn't for me. I'm familiar with the character, but this is the second of the Little Critter Readers I've tried, and it just didn't excite me. I suppose when I'm seeing a book with this much text, I'm looking for more of a story. This is basically just Little Critter and his family going to the festival, buying apples, picking a pumpkin, and playing some games. Little Critter eats too many apples throughout the day, but that's really the only interesting thing in the story; the rest is sort of like a list of things that the family does.

The pictures are sort of cute, but I think the fact that Little Critter creeps me out a bit is colouring my view of these books. Also, in this one, he keeps talking about other "critters". Now, I thought that a "critter" was some nondescript guinea pig-type creature. But in this book, "critters" are all sorts of things: raccoons, bears, mice, etc. It's bad enough that this kid is named "Little Critter", but now we find out that "critter" isn't even that specific? It would be like naming your human child "Little Vertebrate". Kind of weird...

Anyway, I think I've said enough about this one. I know this character has his fans, but I don't even know if I'd recommend this book to them. It's really light on plot, and doesn't really offer much (except maybe some nudges and winks to parents about sticky kids whining about getting a huge pumpkin).

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall Rating: 2.33 out of 5 ladybugs