Commentaire descriptif

When Cousin Clara moves in with Lester's family, Lester must learn to deal with the less-than-perfect gifts she knits for him. Quirky and filled with interesting vocabulary and wordplay (including alliteration and onomatopoeia), this is the story of a peculiar boy – he keeps a notebook listing “Suspicious Stuff Starting with C” – who finds creative ways to dispose of the ghastly but well-meant sweaters he is forced to wear, including a yellow one “smothered with purple pompoms” and another with “several unexpected sleeves.” The artwork, in muted tones of pencil crayon, captures the comical expressions of the characters and parallels the dark humour evoked in sentences such as “They found him crouched amidst the remains of grimly dismembered garments.” One of the many memorable illustrations depicts a crazed, scissor-wielding Lester in a heap of shredded sweaters, red yarn dripping like blood from his fingers. This entertaining read-aloud will appeal to any child who has ever received dreadful clothing from a relative. It can be followed up with an “ugly sweater” art activity or paired with a unit on adjectives and descriptive language.