The Day the Mustache Took Over

June 29, 2015
Twins Nathan and David Wohlfardt take pride in the number of nannies they have driven to quit, and they expect their latest one to quickly take the same route. But when they meet their first manny, Martin Healey—who sports a “mushy, bushy mustache” and speaks with a fake British accent—the two third-graders know things are about to change. The twins are mischievous on their own, but Martin’s arrival brings a previously unmatched level of absurdity that is sure to delight young readers. In front of the boys’ parents, Martin refuses to stand for their nonsense and demands that they work hard and do their chores. But when the parents are out, his attitude is a dream come true for the twins: “Work? Ha! Chores? Blah! Hygiene? Responsibility? Fuggetaboudit!” Nearly every line of the story is topsy-turvy, turning normalcy on its head, and Easler’s b&w illustrations confirm it. This nonsensical, entertaining tale brings humor and fun to new heights, even as Martin’s brilliant nonchalance slowly teaches the kids better behavior and habits. Ages 7–10. Author’s agency: Adams Literary.

July 1, 2015
Does a nanny exist who can tame Nathan and David? Mr. and Mrs. Wohlfardt are at wits' end. They have hired uncountable nannies, but their twin third-grade terrors are such bickering, lazy slobs that the nannies inevitably leave...sometimes in tears. Enter Martin Healey Discount, a manny with a mustache who claims to be a TABASCO (Teacher and Babysitter and Scholarly Childcare Orchestrator). The Wohlfardts hire him, warning the boys that if Martin leaves because of them, there will be no annual family ski trip. Martin preforms impeccably in front of the parents and regularly tricks the boys into good behavior with his own lazy immaturity. Is Martin actually a spy? Can the boys cover for his bad behavior long enough to ensure the ski trip? Katz's debut novel-inspired by his own twin sons, Nathan and David-is what one might expect would come from the scribe of several collections of supersilly poetry: it's episodic, hyperbolic, meandering, and a bit amateurish-feeling. Occasional smiles at a turn of phrase or slapstick moment don't raise the laughs much above the family's mildly potty-humor-ous surname. The boys are bratty just to be bratty, and their smirking sniping is more annoying than amusing. Easler's occasional cartoon illustrations (final art not seen) bid fair to be better than the material they depict. Makes one wish for a timeout. (Fiction. 7-9)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Twin boys Nathan and David have successfully terrorized every nanny they've ever had-each poor caregiver has fled the Wolfhardt home. The siblings have achieved this feat 347 times...or was it 734? Their parents are convinced that nobody can handle the boys, and no agency in town will send them a new babysitter. When all seems lost, brilliantly mustachioed Martin Healey Discount shows up at their door. Affectionately called "Murray Poopins" by the siblings, Martin lays down the law as soon as he enters the house, at least until the boys' parents depart (issuing the threat that if Martin leaves, the family ski trip will be canceled). With the parents out of the house, Martin becomes as big a slacker as the boys, all the while using a seemingly indifferent attitude to teach them about personal responsibility. The humor in the book will certainly appeal to fans of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (Abrams) and Lincoln Peirce's "Big Nate" (HarperCollins), and Easler's illustrations add to the hilarity. VERDICT Though sometimes the boys seem to misbehave for the sake of being bad rather than for the development of character or plot, the story is a delightful experience.-Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX

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