Boa's Bad Birthday

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

It was Boa's birthday.
It was going to be the best one ever.
Or so he hoped.

He invited his friends round.
They would all bring him wonderful presents.
Or would they?

A hilarious tale to encourage young children to accept presents gracefully, from the award-winning team of Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-Who doesn't look forward with anticipation to a birthday party and all the thoughtful presents their friends will bring? Boa the constrictor is no exception. As each guest brings a gift, Boa is consistently disappointed: Orangutan gives Boa a piano, but he has no fingers. Monkey brought sunglasses, but Boa has no way to wear them. Though the gifts bring disappointment, Boa's mother reminds him to be gracious. In a twist, it turns out that Dung Beetle gives the best present of all. Illustrations were done in pen, ink, and watercolor in Ross's trademark bright, bold style. The text and images are perfectly balanced and enticingly draw the reader's eye to the next page. A stellar choice for students to learn the fine art of graciously accepting gifts.-Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Sincerely given birthday gifts prove disappointing for reasons obvious to Boa. (Mittens: he has no hands! A soccer ball: he has no feet.) But Dung Beetle's gift--a ball of "You Know What" containing a hidden seed--grows into something wonderfully appropriate, reminding Boa that it's the thought that counts. Ross's expressive illustrations add humor to a delicate question of etiquette. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.