Don't Forget Your Etiquette! The Essential Guide to Misbehavior
By David Greenberg; illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Farrar, Straus and Giroux; $16.00
40 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0374349905

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

Every kid goes through it, that age where the silly is suddenly sublime, when the ridiculous becomes revered. And in this new picture book, young readers at that age have found their literary counterpart in Miss Information, the etiquette maven, who is only too eager to share her words of wisdom, gleaned she says from years of practice and several Ph.D.'s

In Don't Forget Your Etiquette! The Essential Guide to Misbehavior, the young Miss Information ("So if you're smart you'll read my book / Of modern children's etiquette. If you don't, I'm sad to say / Your life will be pathetiquette.") instructs kids on how to misbehave in any social situation, from sharing the bathroom to sleeping. With clever rhymes and silly situations, Greenberg (the author of Bugs!, Snakes!, and Slugs) encourages boorish behavior and utter selfishness. Not to fear though -- it's so over the top that it's hard to imagine kids taking the book's advice literally (although I guess you never know…).

Satirical and sassy, Miss Information's detailed verse is sure to keep kids laughing, with conspiratorial nods (those boring grown ups, that pesky teacher!) and collegial winks. Greenberg's lighthearted yet earnest tone is perfectly matched to the traditional etiquette book but with a decidedly young and modern twist. The topsy-turvy advice in the book is perfect elementary school fun. Most topics are introduced with a brief quote from a children's or teen etiquette book, then Greenberg's Miss Information gives readers what she believes is the real deal.

The nice thing too about Don't Forget Your Etiquette! is that it's a satisfying read. At 40 pages, it's only a few pages longer than the average picture book, but Greenberg's multiple rhyming stanzas for each subject make it seem much longer. This is a good choice for kids to read themselves, as well as parents and children to read together.

The book features brightly colored illustrations by the well-known Nadine Bernard Westcott, who's illustrated numerous other picture books and board books (Miss Mary Mack and Skip to My Lou). Her literal interpretations of Greenberg's verse add an element of visual humor that will keep kids howling with laughter, from licking a cake (to remove the icing for easy slicing) to putting your feet in the soup (Miss Information would like to know if there's a better way of testing the temperature? She didn't think so).

The combined effect of Greenberg's text and Westcott's pictures make for a fun book that's perfect for sharing. There are plenty of opportunities to talk about proper etiquette too, lest you fear that your child may decide to follow in Miss Information's footsteps, leaving a mess in the kitchen, keeping the babysitter busy, and drinking from the gravy boat without spilling anything. In fact, the preface and final selection do stress the importance of children learning proper etiquette, practicing it, and the ease with which others can tell whether you've got it or you don't.