This is one of the best books I have read in a long time teaching good manners as far as receiving unwanted gifts. Lester has a (possible) Cousin Clara come to live with him and his parents. She loves to knit sweaters which is all fine and good. Unfortunately she gives them to Lester and they are terrible. Buttons and holes where they shouldn't be, horrible colors and wrong lengths as well. Dutifully Lester thanks his cousin each time but then some disaster befalls the sweaters. One met up with the lawnmower, one with ostriches, one got shrunk in the washing machine - well you can see what I mean. One day Lester was invited to a birthday party and the clowns that were performing just fell in love with his chicken sweater. So Lester introduced them to his Cousin Clara. They looked at all the sweaters and oohed and awed over her creations. Then wonders of wonders, they offered Cousin Clara a job making sweaters for them. She accepted and Lester was left in peace. He never did let her know what he really thought of the sweaters and saved a left behind sweater as well as a honking nose from one of the clowns on his lost and found shelf to remember them. A very fun read that can be enjoyed and understood by all ages. This book revolves around one terrible, but believable, predicament occurring in a young boy's life - one that any reader could relate to and even sympathize with - a distant "auntie" moves in and knits him a sweater that his parents feel obligated to force him to wear. No matter how quickly Lester "loses" the sweaters, the visitor replenishes them - all equally hideous. The author's vivid vocabulary and tongue-in-cheek humor really bring the story to life. As the problem gets worse and worse, we are left with no clue as to how it will resolve until a surprising yet satisfying solution finally comes.
What do You think about Lester's Dreadful Sweaters (2012)?
A quirky story about an even quirkier collection of sweaters.
—Jamie
Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2014-2015
—chrislynnmj
