Once upon a cool motorcycle dude by: Kevin O'Malley

Title: Once upon a cool motorcycle dude

Author: Kevin O'Malley

Illustrators: Kevin O’Malley; Carol Heyer; Scott Goto

Publisher: Walker, p2005, c2005

ISBN-13: 978-0-8027-8947-1

ISBN-10: 0-8027-8947-1

Classifications: Fiction/Easy

Interest/Reading Levels:  Grades 3-6/3.6 

Book Summary:

The best part about a story is that it is different for every reader or author. However when two people are trying to retell a story together it can mean trouble.  A girl begins telling a story about a princess and her 10 beautiful ponies (all the while a boy interjects his displeasure on how she is telling the story). The story princess sobs and sobs as her delightful ponies are stolen away by a giant. At this point the boy reader has had enough of the crying and takes over the story, zooming his character into the book on a motorcycle.  Will the boy and girl ever compromise enough to finish the story?

My Impressions:

Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle dude is a conversation starter! The different types of illustrations to fit boy/girl sterotypes are a nice visual touch and It is an excellent addition the way those illustrations combine as the children reach a compromise.  Reading this makes me think of my son who often interjects his “thoughts” when he doesn’t like how the story is being told.  I loved how the princess doesn’t just sit by making thread and let the biker dude fix everything; she pumps some iron, becomes a warrior and goes to save her ponies leaving the biker dude at home.  The biker doesn’t follow to battle however. He sits down and crafts his own blanket from the thread.  I think that every library should have this book in their collect. It is funny, exciting, visually appealing, and an excellent paired reading story.

Library Toolbox of Tips and Tricks!

• Use this book as a starter for a partner writing project! Pair up your students boy/girl. Give them a story starter and see what they make of it together!
• Three different Illustrators contributed to this story. Have the students create a list of artistic attributes and discuss which ones were their favorites and why.
• Makes a great Venn Diagram activity when studying the genre of fairytales!  There are many elements of a fairytale in this book, but there are also things that don't belong! Can your students find them?

References:  

Image:  Once upon a cool motorcycle dude [cover 
     image] Retrieved from:bhttp://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews
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