No More Gnomes

K-Gr 3–The story of Herbert, the politest kid in town, who is so polite that he even has a medal to prove it. But when confronted with the lawn gnomes of his after school nanny and neighbor, Ms. Goat, he has a hard time expressing his fear and disdain for her gnomes and their impact on his sanity. Herbert’s emotions get too overwhelming and instead of being rude, he plots to teach the gnomes a lesson. The story’s premise touches on a social-emotional skill that isn’t seen much in other books: teaching kids to speak out in ways that protect their own feelings without hurting others. However, the character of Herbert is hard to connect with as he is drawn in a way that does not have wide appeal—he comes across as an old man version of a kid, and mixed with the gnomes who are creepy and grumpy, this book might struggle to find an audience. Bright colors and text bubbles make for a movement-filled adventure, and Herbert’s emotional outburst and questioning is true to kids and adults of all ages.