Family Huddle
Kindergarten-Grade 2—This is a short spin on the Manning family of football fame. Starting out on what appears to be a perfect Saturday morning, Cooper, Eli, Peyton, Dad, and Mom visit the children's grandparents in Mississippi. Of course, everyone is smiling and happy. The drive is long, and the boys pass the time by playing football trivia. Once they arrive, the story focuses on specific plays, which are highlighted on the endpapers. After spending the day at Grandma Sis's, who looks quite young and sexy, the family drives to visit the other grandparents, who look quite a bit older. Again, there is no plot beyond the boys practicing in different yards. There is absolutely no character development. The illustrations were done in digital media. The figures are awkward and stiff, with overly stylized faces that always seem just a little too big for the rest of their bodies.—Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York CityCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.