School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3 Jezebel is one of those children whom adults love and children hate. She is perfect: extremely neat (two baths a day), polite, obedient, and at the top of her class in every subject. Of course, like all perfect people, Jezebel is always willing to show others the error of their ways. She is too busy being proper to hear the warning that a crocodile has escaped from the zoo and so she walks, quite properly and neatly, into the croc's waiting jaws. Its response to eating ``the best girl in the world'' is a simple, ``I've tasted better.'' This is typical Ross from the zany cartoon-style watercolors to the ironic biting humor (in this case, both literally and figuratively biting) and the punchy conclusion that redefines justice. As always in Ross' books, the expected is turned inside out and upside down, much to children's delight. This book is sure to please Ross fans and win over many more. All children have a Jezebel in their lives and they'll appreciate a book in which outrageous virtue meets an outrageous reward. Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, Wis. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
``Perfect in every way,'' young paragon Jezebel grows increasingly obnoxious about her many virtues until she comes to an abrupt--perhaps fitting--end. Ages 3-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Ages 5-7. Jezebel is the picture of girlish perfection. Her tidy self frowns on those more sloppy. She always writes thank-you letters and she never picks her nose. Ross gives a tongue- in-cheek recitation of the virtues of this paragon and offers jaunty watercolor pictures, in his familiar, accessible style, to support his contentions. But Jezebel's upright behavior proves her undoing; other children are wildly rushing past her, while Jezebel, sedate as always, admonishes the children to walk slowly or their socks will fall down. The other children's socks may be dropping, but Jezebel suffers a worse fate-- she gets eaten by the crocodile that's chasing them. Although amusing, this is a rather one- note story. Still, readers will relate to the model child everyone else detests-- and will revel in her untimely end. IC.
