A Bad Case of Stripes

Brief Description: In order to ensure her popularity, Camilla Cream always does what is expected, until the day arrives when she no longer recognizes herself. Brief Description: A humorous, vibrantly illustrated tale about a girl who is an extreme conformist and suffers some bizarre consequences. Biographical Note: David Shannon is the internationally acclaimed creator of more than thirty picture books, including NO, DAVID!, a Caldecott Honor Book and his second NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book of the Year. In addition to three more David picture books, Shannon's bestsellers include TOO MANY TOYS; HOW GEORGIE RADBOURN SAVED BASEBALL (newly released in 2012); A BAD CASE OF STRIPES; DUCK ON A BIKE; ALICE THE FAIRY; and GOOD BOY, FERGUS! A native of Spokane, Washington, he is an avid fisherman. He and his family live in California. Review Quotes: Stephanie Zvirin (Booklist, January 1 & 15, 1998 (Vol. 94, No. 9 & 10)) Camilla, who loves lima beans but won't eat them because it's not cool, finds that deferring to others isn't all it's cracked up to be. In fact, her desire to please and be popular causes her some spectacular problems: she suddenly breaks out in stripes, then stars, then turns "purple polka-dotty" at the behest of a delighted classmate. Her weird mutations, which stymie doctors and send the media into a frenzy, become more and more extreme until she finally blends into the walls of her room--her lips the red-blanketed mattress on her bed, her eyes the paintings on the wall. Will she never be herself again? Shannon's over-the-top art is sensational, an ingenious combination of the concrete and the fantastic that delivers more than enough punch to make up for the somewhat heavy hand behind the story, and as usual, his wonderfully stereotypic characters are unforgettable. The pictures are probably enough to attract young browsers (Camilla in brilliant stripped glory graces the jacket), and the book's irony and wealth of detail may even interest readers in higher grades. Try this for leading into a discussion on being different. Category: For the Young. 1998, Scholastic/Blue Sky, Horn Book (Horn Book Guide, Fall 1998) A girl obsessed with what people think about her contracts an ailment that literally turns her into whatever anyone--classmates, doctors, etc.--decides she should be. The story is heavy-handed, but the girl's graphically depicted symptoms, from multicolored stripes to twigs and other spiny appendages protruding from her body, contribute to the dark comedy of the retro-style paintings. Category: Fiction. 1998, Scholastic, 32pp. Ages 5 to 9. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws. Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1998) Camilla Cream wants to fit in, so she conforms, denying herself the things she craves--lima beans, for example--if the other kids frown upon them. She wakes uMarc Notes: ; In order to ensure her popularity, Camilla Cream always does what is expected, until the day arrives when she no longer recognizes herself.. Publisher Marketing: It's the first day of school, and Camilla discovers that she is covered from head to toe in stripes, then polka-dots, and any other pattern spoken aloud! With a little help, she learns the secret of accepting her true self, in spite of her peculiar ailment. Review Citations:

Booklist 01/01/1998 pg. 825 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 01/12/1998 pg. 59 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 01/05/1998 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

School Library Journal 03/01/1998 pg. 188 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 01/01/2001 pg. 696 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 01/01/2006 pg. 1006 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 96 01/01/1999 pg. 72 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Kirkus Review - Children 12/15/1997 pg. 1841 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/1998 pg. 306 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/1998 (EAN 9780590929974, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Shannon, David David Shannon has written and illustrated numerous award winning picture books including "Duck on a Bike", the Caldecott Honor Book "No David!, How I Learned to be a Pirate", and "Good Boy Fergus". He is also one of the collaborative illustrators in Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. David lives with his wife and his daughter in Los Angeles.