Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Tauzer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny encyclopedia of annoying things and who's responsible.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
A brother and sister are alarmed because things keep mysteriously disappearing in their home, including their already completed homework! When they go searching for answers, they are swooped down a tube that lands them in the middle of Dr. Zooper's lab. From that point on, THE MISCHIEVIANS presents one question-and-answer scenario after another accompanied by illustrations, which proves that the book is truly what it claims to be: \"an encyclopedia of things that make mischief, make mayhem, make noise, and make you CRAZY.\" From Homework Eaters and Lintbellians to Stickies, Heebie Jeebies, and more, these tiny creatures can be annoying but are not mean or malicious, and they are everywhere! On the last page, there's space for kids to report any Mischievian they encounter and make a drawing of it, give it a name, and state its size and history.
Is It Any Good?
As with any William Joyce book, the story's slightly offbeat, and kids and parents will enjoy it. The scenarios are imaginative, and the illustrations are absolutely captivating in their quirkiness. The questions about the little annoying mysteries of life will be familiar to most readers, though some mysteries resonate even more humorously with kids (the Danglers, Gigglers, and Pootles, for example).
The little arm reaching out and stealing a letter from the occasional page, the labeling of each scenario with a file number and name, and the endpaper encouraging kids to add to the study adds even more to the Dr. Zooper experience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the various question-and-answer scenarios William Joyce presents. What do you think about Dr. Zooper's explanations? What kinds of things annoy you? Can you think of any other Mischievians you might add to the book?
Do the illustrations in The Mischievians remind you of those in any other books you've read? What about Dr. Seuss? How do the illustrations help with the explanations? Or do they?
Did you notice that some of the letters are missing? Who's doing that mischief? What about the green, six-eyed creature peeking through the back page? What's he up to? What would you call him?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : William Joyce
- Genre : Humor
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Atheneum
- Publication date : October 18, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 56
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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