I love the way this book is put together! The differences between the boys and the girls is exactly the way it is. Kevin O'Malley got it right. Girls want the princesses and the boys want the story to have action and a strong male character. This book puts is all together nicely with the characters figuring out the story as they go. The speech bubbles are the perfect touch to finish out the storyline.

A brother and a sister fight as they create a story. My boys loved this book, especially the "Dude, spin your own gold!" bit.

What happens when a tween boy and a tween girl can't agree on a fairytale plot? A very creative story! I absolutely adore this book. The story is entertaining, and the three different styles of art flow together wonderfully. I checked this one out from the library, but I will be adding it to my collection very soon.

This was a big hit with my ten and seven year old nephews and my four and seven year old nieces. I took it up to the lake house when they all were there, and they all loved it. The boys read and re-read it on their own, and the girls asked every adult willing to read them a story to read this book to them. I'll be grabbing the next book for next year's family vacation!

Perfect for my 6 1/2 year old that is definitely not into princesses as well as my 4 1/2 year old princessaholic.

A "He Said - She Said" tale for young readers, in which a boy and girl must tell a fairy-tale together for a class project, Kevin O'Malley's Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude would undoubtedly make an engaging story-hour selection. The humorous back and forth between the two narrators, who are each appalled by the other's narrative, will produce some giggles, and the bright colors will hold the attention.

Unfortunately, although I can see that this title will appeal to the age-group for which it is intended, I didn't really enjoy it myself. While the gender stereotypes - the girl is romantic, and obsessed with princesses; the boy is interested in muscle "dudes," and the gory details of battle - may ring true, they nevertheless grated. The illustrations, which switch back and forth between the lush, fairy-tale style of Carol Heyer, and the comic-book action style of Scott Goto, felt rather flat to me. All in all, this is one of those books that does what it sets out to do - it just doesn't do it for me.

Does that not intrigue you? It intrigues me! Apparently, it intrigued me when I was younger, because I found another favorite picture book. I probably read this book…twenty or more times. Even though it may seem weird, it is very fun.

The pictures are very well done. I mean, drawing a princess on the same page as a motorcycle dude–that takes talent. Kevin O’Malley is one talented guy.

The whole going back and forth between the boy and the girl’s story was hilarious. I mean, it is totally true.

I don’t want my review to be longer than the actual book, so I will do my ratings now.

The cover is super good and creative. It definitely deserves four stars!

As I said before, this book is one of my favorite picture books. So, obviously, it deserves five stars.



Title: Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude

Author: Kevin O’Malley

Author’s Website: http://www.booksbyomalley.com/



This review is written in my own opinions and words.

What a FUN book :) It's about two kids - a boy and girl - who work together to create a story... taking a typical fairy tale and giving it a modern twist. The illustrations are fantastic! Can't wait to look for more by this author and illustrator :)

A girl and a boy tell their versions of the same story.
voice, point of view

Done in a fun and interesting way...a boy and girl's combined effort at a fairy tail. Great pictures too.

The book was okay but I like mystery books better. The book was a children's book.

When two students with vastly different interests are forced to write a story together they manage to collaborate while maintaining their individual styles.

This book looks like a typical fairy tale with the exception of the cover art. Open the front page and it quickly becomes apparent this is not your traditonal story. Two protagonists engaged in a school report partnership quickly engage the reader with their clear and satirical version of events. Boys who immediately groan when you show them the cover are quickly engaged and both boys and girls get the jokes. This is a fun book and won the Washington Children's Choice award in 2007.

Reviewed by:

Library Media Connection (August/September 2005)
This review is lukewarm at best pointing out that the girl changes from a passive to an active character while the boy doesn't change at all. While LMC may be correct when considering the deeper social message, students seem to appreciate the clear differences drawn between the way girls and boys look at events.

Publishers Weekly (February 21, 2005)

Both Library Media and Horn Books suggest this book is glib and sexist, Publishers Weekly points out the power of the bold colorful illustrations and the resulting cooperation that develops between protagonists to confound those expecting a traditional ending. Publishers Weekly suggests the book has a sophistication which could be used to lead a discussion on gender stereotyping and the benefits of teamwork. These reviews are interesting taken in their totality. They clearly point out how differently we as adults interpret humor and stereotypes.