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Some Smug Slug
"Stop!"
screamed a sparrow.
"Save him!"
shrieked a spider.
"Silly,"
sighed a swallowtail.
Smirking and self-important, the slug keeps slithering his way up a highly suspect slope. Will the slug stop? Are the sparrow, the spider, and the swallowtail simply trying to sabotage the slug's progress? Why is everyone screaming at the slug? Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole have created another alliterative tale that will have children snorting out loud at the surprise ending for this very smug slug.
screamed a sparrow.
"Save him!"
shrieked a spider.
"Silly,"
sighed a swallowtail.
Smirking and self-important, the slug keeps slithering his way up a highly suspect slope. Will the slug stop? Are the sparrow, the spider, and the swallowtail simply trying to sabotage the slug's progress? Why is everyone screaming at the slug? Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole have created another alliterative tale that will have children snorting out loud at the surprise ending for this very smug slug.
Paperback
First published March 27, 1996
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About the author
Pamela Duncan Edwards
61 books21 followersPamela Duncan Edwards is a British-born children's author living in the United States. She has written over forty picture books published in both the U.S. and the U.K., known for their playful language and engaging storytelling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
February 16, 2019
The letter S is brought to you by some smug slug. This is one VERY cute story of a slithering snail, with a An enjoyable tale, well complimented by Henry Cole's sublime studies of spiders, sparrows, and skinks.
March 28, 2018
Read all the way, see the notes at the end (telling you a few things you should see or could see if you look). Spoiler: the S shapes are not always obvious to find. Adults will figure out the "surprise" ending. The fact S is used in so many places (the text, the animals and the shapes) is a unique twist
February 20, 2024
Beautiful use of alliteration and wonderfully detailed illustrations. Loved the hidden activity at the end!
July 10, 2022
Ha! Fun to read.
April 28, 2011
A smug slug that will not listen to the animals around it comes to an unexpected end.
After reading it once, I had to go back and point out how each of the animals tried to warn the smug slug of the danger he was in, but that didn't stop him until it is too late! Clever pictures and a great lesson on alliteration as the title alludes to.
After reading it once, I had to go back and point out how each of the animals tried to warn the smug slug of the danger he was in, but that didn't stop him until it is too late! Clever pictures and a great lesson on alliteration as the title alludes to.
March 14, 2015
That is one ginormous toad, or one teeny slug.
February 6, 2019
This story relies too heavily on alliteration to choose words that are clear to the intended audience age levels. It's fine to use words above age level here and there, but there are complete sentences here that many adults would likely need to figure out, with no contextual language clues. Some of this is due to common language usage changes since this book was written perhaps.
Although it is interesting to see how this story plot works with very realistic artwork, if the illustrations were less so, they could have helped in contextual understanding. Even if there had simply been more dynamic movement and expression added to the animals faces. Instead, we have no real idea how most of the animals feel or their intentions to the slug, or why they are assaulting his intelligence. Though this could add to the twist ending, I think had this been done in a more fictional approach - such as anthropomorphic characters in clothing [which could still have had a realistic feel] or a more cartoon-influenced style, and especially if the text had more simply told the story the story's humor would have been obvious. I was not laughing at all. To me, though I understood every word as an educated adult, the focus on reading and seeing the scientific accuracy of the animals sent my mind in a very different questioning mood. I was aware something was going to happen to the slug, it did not surprise me, and fell flat and mean on the page. It would have been simply matter of fact, had it been a wordless book, but the words added a feeling of mean spiritedness to me.
Although it is interesting to see how this story plot works with very realistic artwork, if the illustrations were less so, they could have helped in contextual understanding. Even if there had simply been more dynamic movement and expression added to the animals faces. Instead, we have no real idea how most of the animals feel or their intentions to the slug, or why they are assaulting his intelligence. Though this could add to the twist ending, I think had this been done in a more fictional approach - such as anthropomorphic characters in clothing [which could still have had a realistic feel] or a more cartoon-influenced style, and especially if the text had more simply told the story the story's humor would have been obvious. I was not laughing at all. To me, though I understood every word as an educated adult, the focus on reading and seeing the scientific accuracy of the animals sent my mind in a very different questioning mood. I was aware something was going to happen to the slug, it did not surprise me, and fell flat and mean on the page. It would have been simply matter of fact, had it been a wordless book, but the words added a feeling of mean spiritedness to me.
January 24, 2023
Some Smug Slug is an excellent read aloud for early childhood. The text has the potential to serve as a mentor text for letter recognition, sound recognition, alliteration, vocabulary development, and so much more. The text demonstrates the alphabetic principle as the letter “s” and its sound are repeated over and over in the title and throughout the book. Students are able to recognize the pattern of the “s” sound, and this leads to conversations and lessons on reading and writing using alliteration. I also like how the illustrator continues to draw the trail of the slug over each page. This entices children to continue turning the page to figure out what will happen next, strengthening print concepts and sparking predicting and inferencing. Some Smug Slug lends itself to opportunities for comprehension, vocabulary development, and writing about reading.
November 5, 2019
The S-words and S- shapes are very much a part of the story. I would start out by asking what SMUG means. It is very much a part of this snail's personality and his undoing. Our Smug slug starts up a steep slope and his animal friends all voice loud warnings, but Slug keeps climbing. By the time you get to the eyes you have a sense that this is not good. And then you find out that frogs eat Smug Slugs.
A bit of a moral at the end if you decide to pursue it. If not, enjoy the Aabsolutely beautiful, detailed illustrations.
A bit of a moral at the end if you decide to pursue it. If not, enjoy the Aabsolutely beautiful, detailed illustrations.
December 10, 2021
This book can be useful with children because the use of alliteration throughout the whole book. This book is definitely for older children and can be used for vocabulary. This is a great book for students to learn words they already know but in a different way. This book can be used by students by having them define what the words mean by first looking at the illustration and have them guess and second to have them actually look up the word. I liked the story but overall even I as an adult had a hard time going through the book because of the uncommon vocabulary words so it was okay.
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July 17, 2020Honestly, I didn't really enjoy this book as I have enjoyed most other picture books. I didn't really get it. The story seemed like it ended unfinished, I mean, I know that not every story needs a moral point or anything but this one just didn't seem to have an ending at all. Although I will say that the illustrations were really good. They were detailed and had realistic elements making the story more engaging to read.
January 19, 2025
This is the book where the eponomous team ~~ Pam Edwards Duncan (author) and Henry Cole (illustrator) ~~ began. You can really see the influence of Henry's science teacher background in the alliterative text and a cast of animal characters trying to warn the smug slug (who, tsk tsk, won't listen) as it climbs up a "hill". Hard to imagine Henry had no formal Cole's beautifully rendered animal illustrations.
February 6, 2019
WOW - talk about words that begin with an S - I've never seen so many in one little book. I didn't even know 2 or 3 of them... if you are doing a study on S - this is the book for you. also, there is a little hide and go seek going on in all the pages too. has animals beginning with an s, and is a clever story about a slug.
April 6, 2020
Modern fantasy
K-1st grade reading level
I read this book for an alliteration lesson plan. It was great for that use, but it didn't have much of a plot, so I would only read it for this purpose. I thought the use of the "s" alliteration made the book fun, but other than that, I didn't absolutely adore it.
K-1st grade reading level
I read this book for an alliteration lesson plan. It was great for that use, but it didn't have much of a plot, so I would only read it for this purpose. I thought the use of the "s" alliteration made the book fun, but other than that, I didn't absolutely adore it.
July 10, 2022
Accurate science for budding backyard biologists. Very rich vocabulary as the author worked to make every meaningful* word begin with the letter S. Read it yourself first so you're prepared to talk about the fact that there are lot of critters in nature who are not vegans....
*as in, not prepositions and articles
*as in, not prepositions and articles
April 1, 2022
As an adult reader, the alliteration was beautiful and added to the poetic feel of the story. If this story is intended for younger readers, though, the vocab is just too much... would inhibit the story and distract.
April 22, 2022
Animal Fiction
k-1st
This book is great for read alouds. I really like how the animals are hidden throughout the pictures. Even though it is a short and simple book, it does have a theme of bravery and I think that is great for young readers.
k-1st
This book is great for read alouds. I really like how the animals are hidden throughout the pictures. Even though it is a short and simple book, it does have a theme of bravery and I think that is great for young readers.
May 4, 2022
I loved this funny book! If you are studying alliteration, small creatures, or the letter S this book would be ideal. My four year old loved it and I can see it working for kids 4-8. I want to use it next year for my poetry unit!
May 6, 2023
A cautionary tale of a smug snail told using alliteration. Refusing to heed any of the warnings giving by the animals that he slinks by as he slithers up a slanted slope, the smug slug finds a surprise waiting for him at the summit of the slope.
May 30, 2023
This is such a fun story! The whole book is told in alliteration, featuring the s sound! Slug slips away from many animals with no worries. Until he meets one particular animal. Such a fun read aloud!
April 7, 2018
Great for teaching alliteration!
April 21, 2018
Want to know what happened to one #smug #slug?
May 11, 2018
A lovely illustrated book of alliterations about a slug. Simple text, great illustrations.
June 4, 2018
This is a funny story, stressing the letter 's' all the way through, and with wonderful illustrations.
June 25, 2018
Loved this!
Rich tier two and three vocabulary
The sophisticated language encourages rereads
Fiction but incorporating nonfiction as well
Love it !
Rich tier two and three vocabulary
The sophisticated language encourages rereads
Fiction but incorporating nonfiction as well
Love it !
July 17, 2018
Great illustrations. Sad ending.
September 22, 2018
I had so much fun reading this aloud to my class. Especially seeing as they started to catch on... such a fun, clever book.
October 5, 2018
Wonderful alliteration, vocabulary and a surprise ending to delight children!
November 28, 2018
Cute alliteration
January 29, 2019
Good book for 1st-4th grades. The alliteration, the vocabulary, and the predictability (not obvious, but it's there if you're observant).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews