Thursday, August 09, 2018

Russell Wrestles the Relatives

Russell Wrestles the Relatives. Cindy Chambers Johnson. Illustrated by Daniel Duncan. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: There was only one day left until Russell's family reunion. Everyone was excited. Everyone except Russell. Family reunions meant lots of hugging, hand shaking, and hair tousling. And Russell's relatives? Well, they were a bit more...enthusiastic than most.

Premise/plot: Russell is WORRIED. He comes from a long line of WRESTLERS. Everyone in his extended family is a wrestler, and, well, Russell doesn't have the moves--at least not yet. How can he survive all the hugging and affection when everyone is so big, and so strong?! Russell needs a plan. Will Russell survive his family reunion without injury?!

My thoughts: This one was very playful. I really loved the narrative. The language in this one is just fun and joyful.
Russell's granddaddy was the Texas Tickler. He'd been perfecting his famous Texas Ticklehold for the better part of a century. The only wrestler who could beat him was Russell's grammy, Dorothy the Dropper, with her Kansas Crusher. Everyone of Russell's aunts, uncles, and cousins was a wrestler. They were sure to greet him with humongous hugs and Herculean handshakes. 
I loved the text. I wasn't as thrilled with the illustrations. But overall I really liked this one...so much more than I thought I would.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10


© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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