You Can't Do That
A fast, fun, rhyming romp about all the things you can't do.
Or can you?
Or can you?
School Library Journal Review:
A hilariously irreverent look at the limits of human (and animal) potential. The book cheekily subverts the “you can do anything” trope when a vibrant, rainbow-lettered spread declaring “You can do anything!” is immediately undercut by a dry subheading: “No, that’s not true. There are probably millions of things you can’t do.” What follows is a riotous catalogue of the impossible, ranging from the whimsical (teaching a chicken to bake a pie) to the delightfully gross (knitting with nose hair). The pacing is expertly handled, building momentum as each page turn reveals a new absurdity, like eating a car-sized waffle or “farting rainbows.” Kelley’s signature eye-catching graphics pop with saturated colors and expressive characters that practically jump off the page. The story concludes with a clever twist, encouraging readers to defy expectations—with one notable exception. A dark-humored closing image of a shark and a protruding snorkeler’s leg serves as a hilarious warning against “hugging a shark.”
VERDICT: A graceful lesson in comedic timing, this high-energy title is a guaranteed hit that will fly off the shelves.
A hilariously irreverent look at the limits of human (and animal) potential. The book cheekily subverts the “you can do anything” trope when a vibrant, rainbow-lettered spread declaring “You can do anything!” is immediately undercut by a dry subheading: “No, that’s not true. There are probably millions of things you can’t do.” What follows is a riotous catalogue of the impossible, ranging from the whimsical (teaching a chicken to bake a pie) to the delightfully gross (knitting with nose hair). The pacing is expertly handled, building momentum as each page turn reveals a new absurdity, like eating a car-sized waffle or “farting rainbows.” Kelley’s signature eye-catching graphics pop with saturated colors and expressive characters that practically jump off the page. The story concludes with a clever twist, encouraging readers to defy expectations—with one notable exception. A dark-humored closing image of a shark and a protruding snorkeler’s leg serves as a hilarious warning against “hugging a shark.”
VERDICT: A graceful lesson in comedic timing, this high-energy title is a guaranteed hit that will fly off the shelves.
Kirkus Review:
You CAN’T imagine a book with more enjoyably implausible feats.
Kids are all about testing the limits, and here are a dozen-plus extreme examples.
“You can do anything!” claims an unseen narrator before quickly amending that statement. After all, “you CAN’T balance ten tacos on top of your head.” “You CAN’T tuna fish, so don’t even try.” The imagined consequences—depicted in the accompanying artwork—are hilarious: tacos toppling from a youngster’s head, a kid strumming a wary-looking fish. The rest of the examples are equally ridiculous: lifting an elephant with a spoon, riding your bike to the moon, teaching a potato to dance, and expecting a squirrel to sport undies. Some lean into gross-out humor (“You CAN’T fart a rainbow,” “You CAN’T knit with nose hair to make a warm sweater”). In a reversal, the last few pages encourage readers to attempt whatever far-out feat they want—except hugging a shark. As in many of his previous books, Kelley’s artwork relies on firm outlines and both intense and mellow colors. The spring-loaded rhymed text adds to the fun for a combination that will guarantee repeat reading and inspire youngsters to come up with even more outrageous ideas. The children pictured vary in skin tone and hair texture.
You CAN’T imagine a book with more enjoyably implausible feats. (Picture book. 4-8)
You CAN’T imagine a book with more enjoyably implausible feats.
Kids are all about testing the limits, and here are a dozen-plus extreme examples.
“You can do anything!” claims an unseen narrator before quickly amending that statement. After all, “you CAN’T balance ten tacos on top of your head.” “You CAN’T tuna fish, so don’t even try.” The imagined consequences—depicted in the accompanying artwork—are hilarious: tacos toppling from a youngster’s head, a kid strumming a wary-looking fish. The rest of the examples are equally ridiculous: lifting an elephant with a spoon, riding your bike to the moon, teaching a potato to dance, and expecting a squirrel to sport undies. Some lean into gross-out humor (“You CAN’T fart a rainbow,” “You CAN’T knit with nose hair to make a warm sweater”). In a reversal, the last few pages encourage readers to attempt whatever far-out feat they want—except hugging a shark. As in many of his previous books, Kelley’s artwork relies on firm outlines and both intense and mellow colors. The spring-loaded rhymed text adds to the fun for a combination that will guarantee repeat reading and inspire youngsters to come up with even more outrageous ideas. The children pictured vary in skin tone and hair texture.
You CAN’T imagine a book with more enjoyably implausible feats. (Picture book. 4-8)