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The Day the Mustache Took Over
David and Nathan are twin brothers who just can't seem to keep a babysitter around for long-they've had 347 after all. Or is it 734?
Either way . . . there's got to be someone who can handle these two. Enter: Martin Healey Discount, or "Murray Poopins†? as the boys dub him. When they first meet, Martin is all business-well, business and a very bushy mustache. The boys must brush their teeth and clean their rooms and there is absolutely no television allowed. But is there more to Martin than meets the eye? When David and Nathan's parents leave, the twins aren't the only ones acting like children . . .
From the hilarious mind of Alan Katz comes a brand-new series with a cast of characters that will tickle more than your upper lip.
Either way . . . there's got to be someone who can handle these two. Enter: Martin Healey Discount, or "Murray Poopins†? as the boys dub him. When they first meet, Martin is all business-well, business and a very bushy mustache. The boys must brush their teeth and clean their rooms and there is absolutely no television allowed. But is there more to Martin than meets the eye? When David and Nathan's parents leave, the twins aren't the only ones acting like children . . .
From the hilarious mind of Alan Katz comes a brand-new series with a cast of characters that will tickle more than your upper lip.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
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360 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 30, 2020
My daughters loved this book and re-read it several times from age 9-11. It's a chapter book with some good big words, and some made up ones that are clearly identified as such, a motivational story arc about twin troublemaker brothers who wind up on the straight and narrow thanks to a wacky male nanny who has all of Amelia Bedelia's positive traits but minus whatever it is that's always made me hate reading her books.
August 31, 2015
This book is zany, ridiculous, and outright bizarre...and I loved it! Katz tells the wacky misadventures of two twin boys and their mustachioed nanny with the sort of odd humor that can make grown-ups and kids laugh aloud together. Strange as they come and dripping with rhymes, bad facial hair, and meatloaf shaped like the nanny's head, this is makes one great laugh!
September 22, 2015
David and Nathan are over the top funny in a way that many kids will enjoy. The story moves along quickly and the boys learn lessons and grow up over the course of six months with Martin Healy Discount. I recommend this for younger readers, 3rd--6th grade.
Full review available at: http://livingalifeinbooks.blogspot.co...
Full review available at: http://livingalifeinbooks.blogspot.co...
July 22, 2018
About a male nanny controlling two wild boys.
January 17, 2020
Super silly and so much fun! Boys in grades 3 and up will love it. Great read aloud for younger fellas, too.
April 18, 2020
Funny boy humor. Some parts are dry but overall funny.
Want to read
April 16, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
October 8, 2015
When I first saw the cover and premise for this book, I was so excited. Finally! A book for boys that's goofy, funny, and full of mischief. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I've been seeking suggestions for "boy" books to add to my classroom library collection, and I thought that this was going to be a winner for sure. However, after struggling to get through this book (honestly, I had to talk myself into finishing it!), I can say that it is full of mischief, but I didn't find it the least bit funny. I normally don't like to publish negative reviews on here (after all, it seems silly to tell you all about a book and advise you not to buy it) but I decided to share it for a few reasons: first, I want to be fully transparent, because I don't actually love every single book that I read (although I have to say I do love the majority), and second because if I were in a bookstore, I would definitely be motivated to buy this book for a young reader.
I connected with the premise because I've worked so many years as a nanny, and I find that caring for children is way more fun and easy when I can put on my silliest of hats (figuratively speaking) and let fun guide our way. In The Day the Mustache Took Over, which makes its debut on September 1st, twin boys Nathan and David are faced with yet another new nanny to take care of them. The boys are so terribly behaved that they've left a trail of nannies in their wake and their parents are out of options. That is, until Martin Healey Discount shows up at the door. Martin becomes the boys' new "manny," and though he puts on a stern face for their parents' sake, it turns out that Martin is more trouble than even the boys. In the end, he tricks the boys into doing their chores by pretending that they're defying their parents.
While the premise was of interest to me, the biggest problem for me in reading this book was the writing style. I could not follow anything that was going on, and I felt like the dialogue was so fast and disconnected that nothing made sense. It almost felt like I was hyped up on sugar while reading it (if that makes sense) because everything was disjointed and the whole premise turned from funny to outrageous in the space of the first chapter. Though I understood why the parents played minor roles, I also felt like their lack of discipline and boundaries for the boys was completely unrealistic, and I felt unsure about how the message in this book would translate to young readers. Would they find it funny? Would they try to follow the footsteps of Nathan, David, and their crazy manny? The latter possibility had me flinching from the trouble that could ensue in real life. From a teacher perspective, at times the language that was employed by the manny character could also have been out of reach for some young readers-- the character used unusual vocabulary in order to convey silliness, but I could see some of the language being inaccessible for some audiences. Though I certainly wouldn't stop a young reader from picking up this book of their own volition (after all, what they're reading is less important than the fact that they are reading), I won't be buying this for my classroom library and I don't see myself recommending it to parents.
I connected with the premise because I've worked so many years as a nanny, and I find that caring for children is way more fun and easy when I can put on my silliest of hats (figuratively speaking) and let fun guide our way. In The Day the Mustache Took Over, which makes its debut on September 1st, twin boys Nathan and David are faced with yet another new nanny to take care of them. The boys are so terribly behaved that they've left a trail of nannies in their wake and their parents are out of options. That is, until Martin Healey Discount shows up at the door. Martin becomes the boys' new "manny," and though he puts on a stern face for their parents' sake, it turns out that Martin is more trouble than even the boys. In the end, he tricks the boys into doing their chores by pretending that they're defying their parents.
While the premise was of interest to me, the biggest problem for me in reading this book was the writing style. I could not follow anything that was going on, and I felt like the dialogue was so fast and disconnected that nothing made sense. It almost felt like I was hyped up on sugar while reading it (if that makes sense) because everything was disjointed and the whole premise turned from funny to outrageous in the space of the first chapter. Though I understood why the parents played minor roles, I also felt like their lack of discipline and boundaries for the boys was completely unrealistic, and I felt unsure about how the message in this book would translate to young readers. Would they find it funny? Would they try to follow the footsteps of Nathan, David, and their crazy manny? The latter possibility had me flinching from the trouble that could ensue in real life. From a teacher perspective, at times the language that was employed by the manny character could also have been out of reach for some young readers-- the character used unusual vocabulary in order to convey silliness, but I could see some of the language being inaccessible for some audiences. Though I certainly wouldn't stop a young reader from picking up this book of their own volition (after all, what they're reading is less important than the fact that they are reading), I won't be buying this for my classroom library and I don't see myself recommending it to parents.
March 4, 2017
In my words,I love the way that Martin acts like the boys are babysitting him.-not the other way around!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2015
Mild, Sly Silliness with Heart and An Engaging Moral
The professional P.R. for this book is promoting it as a non-stop comedy riot with a screamingly funny laugh on every page. I didn't see that; what I found is better than that.
The book starts out unpromisingly. Nathan and David are twin brothers who fight constantly, misbehave, disregard their parents and are so lacking in self-control or self-restraint that they have burned through literally hundreds of nannies, to the desperation of their distracted and over-worked parents. We are treated to a hyper, exaggerated recounting of all of their misdeeds. Supposedly, all of this is terribly funny. As a consequence of this intro, I suspected I'd end up reading a sort of "Dennis the Menace" story on steroids, with a boys-will-be-boys angle and maybe some out of the blue change of heart on the next to the last page.
Well, what you get is a book about a male nanny who subtly and indirectly brings the boys around. MILD SPOILER. This nanny is so apparently irresponsible that the boys have to take care of him and in so doing they gradually learn how to work together and take care of themselves. This switch in tone and plot occurs early on in the book, and most of the fun is in recognizing all of the tricks, reverse psychology, and the like that the nanny uses to shape up the unsuspecting boys. It ends up, of course, that the joke has been on them all along, and they ruefully recognize and appreciate this by the end of the book.
Along the way there is some clever word play, some engaging silliness, a few surprisingly edgy throwaway lines, a lot of puns, some Amelia Bedelia and "Don't call me Shirley!" style humor, and lots of mild hijinks. But it's not just manic and it's never stupid, mean or fart-based. There is something much more clever and carefully crafted going on here, and it all goes down easily once we switch from twins-as-jerks to twins-as-befuddled-and-then-responsible-kids.
I would suspect that this book would work for a wide range of young readers. Some will probably get the switcheroo right off the bat, others will follow the boys for a while before they get what's going on. The humor ranges from low and silly to a bit dry and deadpan, so again there's a bit of something for every level of reader. It helps that the author addresses the reader directly from time to time, and the book does have an engaging and inviting air to it that will probably make it even more attractive and inviting to a younger reader.
So, a fast and entertaining read with some laughs and a gentle message. Maybe not a screamingly funny laff-riot, but a nice find. (Please note that I picked up a free copy of this book at the 2015 ALA Convention. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
The professional P.R. for this book is promoting it as a non-stop comedy riot with a screamingly funny laugh on every page. I didn't see that; what I found is better than that.
The book starts out unpromisingly. Nathan and David are twin brothers who fight constantly, misbehave, disregard their parents and are so lacking in self-control or self-restraint that they have burned through literally hundreds of nannies, to the desperation of their distracted and over-worked parents. We are treated to a hyper, exaggerated recounting of all of their misdeeds. Supposedly, all of this is terribly funny. As a consequence of this intro, I suspected I'd end up reading a sort of "Dennis the Menace" story on steroids, with a boys-will-be-boys angle and maybe some out of the blue change of heart on the next to the last page.
Well, what you get is a book about a male nanny who subtly and indirectly brings the boys around. MILD SPOILER. This nanny is so apparently irresponsible that the boys have to take care of him and in so doing they gradually learn how to work together and take care of themselves. This switch in tone and plot occurs early on in the book, and most of the fun is in recognizing all of the tricks, reverse psychology, and the like that the nanny uses to shape up the unsuspecting boys. It ends up, of course, that the joke has been on them all along, and they ruefully recognize and appreciate this by the end of the book.
Along the way there is some clever word play, some engaging silliness, a few surprisingly edgy throwaway lines, a lot of puns, some Amelia Bedelia and "Don't call me Shirley!" style humor, and lots of mild hijinks. But it's not just manic and it's never stupid, mean or fart-based. There is something much more clever and carefully crafted going on here, and it all goes down easily once we switch from twins-as-jerks to twins-as-befuddled-and-then-responsible-kids.
I would suspect that this book would work for a wide range of young readers. Some will probably get the switcheroo right off the bat, others will follow the boys for a while before they get what's going on. The humor ranges from low and silly to a bit dry and deadpan, so again there's a bit of something for every level of reader. It helps that the author addresses the reader directly from time to time, and the book does have an engaging and inviting air to it that will probably make it even more attractive and inviting to a younger reader.
So, a fast and entertaining read with some laughs and a gentle message. Maybe not a screamingly funny laff-riot, but a nice find. (Please note that I picked up a free copy of this book at the 2015 ALA Convention. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
January 31, 2016
Review copy provided by Netgalley
This book could probably best be described an absurd mix of Amelia Bedelia, The Cat in the Hat, and Mary Poppins. This is the story of badly behaved twin boys with parents that seemingly have no time to raise their children themselves. Therefore, the children are essentially raised by nannies that quit with such regularity that the boys have been through hundreds of them already. Then, a nanny shows up that changes everything, though this nanny is no Mary Poppins regardless of how similar their entrances.
After those early comparisons to Mary Poppins, the book swiftly shifts tones to something more akin to the Cat in the Hat, with the nanny, Martin, taking the role of the terribly behaved Cat while the twins clean up after him like Sally and her brother. The similarities to Amelia Bedelia come into play when Martin is left to his own devices while the children attend school.
All in all, this book is just an absurd romp through one bit of craziness after another. Martin, the nanny, has as much need for growth as the twins it turns out and they all do evolve into more responsible, caring versions of their earlier selves, but character growth isn't the central focus here. This is about the laughs and it does that fairly well. This is something that would probably appeal to reluctant middle-grade readers. It's illustrated, though not on every page, and the text is not overwhelmingly complex.
It ends fairly well, but mostly it seems to be a set-up for the next book in this series. This series will be a welcome addition to the humor fiction category, well-written though strongly reminiscent of stories that came before it. Well done.
This book could probably best be described an absurd mix of Amelia Bedelia, The Cat in the Hat, and Mary Poppins. This is the story of badly behaved twin boys with parents that seemingly have no time to raise their children themselves. Therefore, the children are essentially raised by nannies that quit with such regularity that the boys have been through hundreds of them already. Then, a nanny shows up that changes everything, though this nanny is no Mary Poppins regardless of how similar their entrances.
After those early comparisons to Mary Poppins, the book swiftly shifts tones to something more akin to the Cat in the Hat, with the nanny, Martin, taking the role of the terribly behaved Cat while the twins clean up after him like Sally and her brother. The similarities to Amelia Bedelia come into play when Martin is left to his own devices while the children attend school.
All in all, this book is just an absurd romp through one bit of craziness after another. Martin, the nanny, has as much need for growth as the twins it turns out and they all do evolve into more responsible, caring versions of their earlier selves, but character growth isn't the central focus here. This is about the laughs and it does that fairly well. This is something that would probably appeal to reluctant middle-grade readers. It's illustrated, though not on every page, and the text is not overwhelmingly complex.
It ends fairly well, but mostly it seems to be a set-up for the next book in this series. This series will be a welcome addition to the humor fiction category, well-written though strongly reminiscent of stories that came before it. Well done.
August 25, 2015
Originally posted here
This book was a pleasant surprise to receive in the mail and it was exactly what I needed during that time. Martin Healey Discount, or “Murray Poopins” reminds me more of Amelia Bedelia, and in the best way possible. Amelia Bedelia was my jam as a child and is still no disappointment, if I’m behind honest.
David and Nathan cannot keep a babysitter if their lives depended on it, and if I’m being honest their life does kind of depend on it. They are trouble, but they are also in elementary school, trouble is expected. However, they meet their match in Martin. If anything, he’s constantly playing them and making them second guess..everything. It’s interesting to see how much guilt Katz had the characters go throughout The Day The Mustache Took Over. I also enjoyed how enjoyable this book was and how quickly, once I was finished with it, I wanted to re-read it and start it again.
This book was a pleasant surprise to receive in the mail and it was exactly what I needed during that time. Martin Healey Discount, or “Murray Poopins” reminds me more of Amelia Bedelia, and in the best way possible. Amelia Bedelia was my jam as a child and is still no disappointment, if I’m behind honest.
David and Nathan cannot keep a babysitter if their lives depended on it, and if I’m being honest their life does kind of depend on it. They are trouble, but they are also in elementary school, trouble is expected. However, they meet their match in Martin. If anything, he’s constantly playing them and making them second guess..everything. It’s interesting to see how much guilt Katz had the characters go throughout The Day The Mustache Took Over. I also enjoyed how enjoyable this book was and how quickly, once I was finished with it, I wanted to re-read it and start it again.
August 15, 2015
David and Nathan are bad. They have gone through so many nannies it isn't funny. But when their new manny shows up they get more than they bargained for. While the new manny puts on a good show for their parents he really does nothing and is actually a fraud. Or maybe a spy. Miraculously though David and Nathan actually start doing more...
This was a cute book, kind of funny... it wasn't my personal favorite but kids will probably like it.
This was a cute book, kind of funny... it wasn't my personal favorite but kids will probably like it.
July 3, 2015
I read a print ARC for the #paperbacksummer challenge.
This gender-flipped homage to MARY POPPINS is appealingly madcap without resorting to gross-out jokes. There's a nicely surreal bent to some of the humor (Martin Healey Discount reminds me of a Monty Python character at times), which should appeal to boys, girls, and their parents.
This gender-flipped homage to MARY POPPINS is appealingly madcap without resorting to gross-out jokes. There's a nicely surreal bent to some of the humor (Martin Healey Discount reminds me of a Monty Python character at times), which should appeal to boys, girls, and their parents.
September 20, 2018
Part way in, it become easy to be distracted from. Not bad over all
October 22, 2015
This is a delightfully funny chapter book for elementary school children which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'd give it three and a half stars. I'm definitely saving it for my grandson.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
October 11, 2015
Silly book. My boys enjoyed it - I thought the plot was.a bit convoluted A sort of modernized Mary Poppins/Nanny McPhee story. My boys (7&8) got a lot of mileage from the mashey potatoes line. I guess Katz knows his audience.
November 1, 2015
I found this book to be witty, charming, and silly which makes it a great book for me. The illustrations are perfect, I love tomato and tomato sandwiches and I am excited for the next book. This is a fun one to read aloud.
Read
March 30, 2016This is a good read for elementary boys who understand consequences. I do not like the fact that the nanny destroys the house and then blames the kids. I would believe this is an optional purchase. I would say it is written for 8-12 yr olds.
May 18, 2015
As a former nanny, this book tickled me!
Read
June 2, 2015Super cute young middle grade about misbehaving twins and their crazy Amelia Bedelia-esque nanny.
Read
July 9, 2015A lot of fun prose from one of my favorite hilarious poets.
September 19, 2015
Slowish start and kind of a dopey premise but it was just fun in the end... Kind of a bizarre tear on Mary Poppins! Kids will love it and what else matters! 4.5 stars rounds up!
September 26, 2015
It's been a long time since I've read something this silly, and it was delightful.
October 5, 2015
Fun and silly chapter book for your young readers.
October 3, 2015
very clever, very funny, sometimes I did not get the humor and I was confused about whether honesty is important
March 21, 2016
A bit silly but it's a good book especially for second graders. I was reading it with a student and he loved the story.
Want to read
October 13, 2016I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2016
Funny but there were events in the book that kind of skipped around too fast for me. Left me with unanswered questions but not in a good way.
Read
April 21, 2017Very funny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews