4 out of 4 stars
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From my first glance at Michael and the Spots by Carl H. Witt, Jr. I expected Michael to learn about chicken pox. What I found was so much sillier and more wild than I ever could've expected, and that's certainly not a bad thing!
Michael is a 5 year old boy who, after taking a messy, fun bath, discovers he has spots on his face! What could they be? He asks his mom and his grandma what they might be and they both tell him they're freckles from playing in the sun so much, but Michael doesn't believe them. He thinks they're alien plants or insane robots and doesn't think it's funny when his grandma laughs and grabs his cheek! Things take a crazy twist when Michael asks his dad what they are. Michael's dad isn't the most serious of folks, and he gives him an answer even more creative than Michael's wildest dreams!
Michael and the Spots may not have any hidden lessons or deep secrets about life but that's okay! The book is just a load of silly fun that should make any kid laugh (unless they're easily frightened, in which case I seriously advice against this book!). Michael's relationship with his family is very relatable - his mother and grandmother laugh but they're honest, while his father is silly and plays along. Maybe in your family grandma is the silly one, or maybe mom is; in my family both parents could play the honest or silly role and swapped frequently."Oh, no!" said Dad. "Those are DRAGON EGGS!"
The art is also incredibly silly. It's all clearly hand drawn and it's the perfect level of funny and illustrative of what's going on. Michael's bath isn't relaxing and peaceful, it's messy and fun. His grandma grabs his cheek so hard she nearly rips it off. His freckles are the size of pepperoni, sure, but when you're a kid wondering what some random thing is on your face that's how blown up they look to you!
If your kid won't have nightmares from seeing dragon eggs, crazy alien plants or robotic appendages coming out of their face, I can definitely recommend Michael and the Spots. It's silly, it's fun and I can't imagine reading it to a child without lots of laughter. My official rating is 4 out of 4 stars, which was made even easier as I'm still smiling after reading it!
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Michael and the Spots
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