Mike Lester

I really enjoyed reading the book, When Charlie McButton Lost Power by Suzanne Collins. The rhyming and illustrations in this book kept you entertained while also teaching a valuable lesson. This is the second rhyming book I've read and I have found them both to be very entertaining. I find myself reading the rhymes with more enthusiasm and excitement then a traditional writing style. This made the book fun and more enjoyable. The clay rhyme is my absolute favorite part it shows how a good rhyme can be fun, show emotion and draw you in.
“Could anything be any duller than clay?
Soggy gray clay on a soggy gray day?
He hated the way clay got under his nails
And how he could only make snowmen and snails.”
I feel like the drawings also add to my enjoyment of this book. They are scribbly while still maintaining detail. They are very expressive, you can completely relate to Charlie’s expressions as he gasps for air when losing his electronics or pounces on his sister dolly. The illustrator Mike Lester makes the emotions pop in his drawings while still keeping everything fun. I originally thought the main idea of this book was to learn to live without electronics, but it also has a bigger message. Not only does Charlie have to entertain himself without batteries but while doing so he learns to appreciate his sister and play with her. By the end he realizes that he can be happy without electronics and batteries; and to enjoy the company of his sister most of all.… (meer)