Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
My four-year-old son loves this book. I initially found it in a library, pulling it off the shelf at random the very day we'd been discussing stunt men and women. We read it at the library and Gavin laughed and laughed. This book totally cracked him up. Later that day we went to a bookstore (The Book Table in Chicago, actually. I highly recommend it) and bought it. We've read it so many times that he basically has it memorized. And we never get tired of saying, "The potty of DOOM!" Cracks both of us up every time. Kel Gilligan is a daredevil - brave enough to attempt awe-inspiring feats like eating broccoli, facing "the Potty of Doom," and taking a bath with only ONE assistant. Santat's illustrations heighten both the drama and the humor in Buckley's story. You can tell just by the cover how much kids are going to love this.Our kindergartners thought the Potty of Doom was hilarious. They are just the right age to remember those little potties and know just what an achievement it is to master them. As the review in Kirkus says,"Whether he is in underpants, in his caped stuntman outfit or bare-bottomed, young readers (and their grown-ups) cannot help but laugh out loud at the hilarious details of Kel's silly adventures because they tackle them daily and know them too well."It's interesting that Kel appeals most to kids ages 5-8 who are able to laugh at Buckley's exaggeration and understand that he's really making fun of these small achievements. They know that Kel talks tough, but is really soft inside - especially when it comes to checking for monsters under his bed.Santat's early sketches for Kel show that he had originally imagined him as a preschooler, but through editing changes it was decided that Kel should be older, perhaps around 5. Santat developed the flashback device using the parent's videocam to recall the potty and broccoli scenes from Kel's younger days. My kindergartners were a bit confused at these transitions, but it did not detract from the overall impact of the hilarious scenes.
What do You think about Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show (2012)?
SO GOOD! I love this book, and my students thought it was hilarious. Great read aloud!
—zati
I LOVE THIS BOOK. It was about as awesome as any children's picture book can be.
—lena
I thought the illustrations were cute, but the story lacked excitement for me.
—TheNic4life
