Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem

When his parents threaten to teach him responsibility by giving him a whale, Billy Twitters isn't worried: It's not like you can just have one delivered to your house overnight. But he's wrong. Rex's (Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich) howler of a double-page spread shows an enormous trailer attached to a FedUp truck, an equally massive blue whale suspended from tow straps. Rex's Mad magazinestyle artworkrealistic enough to drive home the humor and full of clever touchesis the perfect choice for Barnett's high-concept debut. Billy hauls the whale to school behind his bike, a skateboard under the creature for easier sliding; confronts the school bully and the school geek (new allies, in league against him); and struggles with blue whale upkeep, like collecting 10,000 gallons of seawater at mealtime (Try the ocean, son, his father suggests). Billy never names his whaleit's more of a burden than a pet. The abrupt ending disappoints somewhat, given the uproarious pages that precede it (the contributors also work in scientific information about blue whalesthough readers, between laughs, may not notice). Still, tons of fun. Ages 37. (June) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mac Barnett is the author of many books for children, including Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, a Caldecott Honor Book and winner of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse, a New York Times bestseller; Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, a Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the E. B. White Read Aloud Award. Other titles include The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown, Chloe and the Lion, How This Book Was Made, Count the Monkeys, and Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem. He is the co-author, with Jory John, of the New York Times bestselling series The Terrible Two. Mac lives in California.

Adam Rex is the multi-talented author of books for children, middle readers and young adults, as well as an accomplished illustrator. He has written such beloved picture books as School’s First Day of School (illustrated by Christian Robinson), has created both pictures and words for favorites like Are You Scared, Darth Vader?, Nothing Rhymes with Orange, and Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich; and he has illustrated books by bestselling authors like The Legend of Rock Scissors Paper by Drew Daywalt, Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, and Chu’s Day by Neil Gaiman. The True Meaning of Smekday was his first novel, followed by Smek for President! and other books for middle and teen readers. He grew up in Phoenix, got a BFA from the University of Arizona, and now lives in Tucson.