1995

I have to admit I was a bit dumbfounded over how to tackle a parody of a math workbook. A great premise but not much fun to illustrate. Or so I thought. I looked at that title again. It’s a curse! I can throw all formal rules, straight lines, and perfect charts out the window and create a surreal dreamscape.

—Lane

A number one Publishers Weekly bestseller.

Booklist Editors’ Choice citation

A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book

ALA Best Book for Young Adults citation

Scieszka and Smith triumph … at the top of their class as artists and entertainers, their distinctive voice and original vision creating a child-centered, witty picture book about the woes of math anxiety.

Booklist

Smith's illustrations are wild and rollicking. Combining drawings with collage, he creates a multi-textured school scene that reflects the narrator's confusion. Numbers are everywhere, but so are whimsical touches such as the individual expressions on the 24 cherries that adorn the class's cupcakes. This title can certainly be used as lighthearted relief in math class, but the story will be heartily enjoyed simply for its zany humor and nonstop sense of fun.

School Library Journal