by:
Pinkwater, Daniel
Davis, Jack E.

Publisher:
HarperCollins
Published:August 1, 2003
ISBN:0066237858
Format:Hardcover
Pages:32

Description: From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-Inspired by watching The Picture of Dorian Gray on TV, Morty and Ray paint a magical picture of their own. Then the boys eagerly misbehave to see if their painting changes. Sure enough, as they clog toilets, push little kids, and stick "our butts out the window" of the school bus, the picture gets uglier. Then they get tired of it, give it to a friend, and go off to drink pickle juice. The two friends are sort of a junior version of Beavis and Butthead. They take true pleasure in gross and disgusting things, which comes through in the pleasingly grotesque, cartoon illustrations; heavily detailed and busy, the art is in full color, with movie scenes in shades of gray. Morty's narration captures the simple idiocy of the two boys: "`Neat!' Ray shouted. `It is a neat movie!' `Did you see what a neat picture?' Neat!'" The irreverent tone of the text is well matched by the art, but there's not much else to this book. The mischief-making antics might draw a laugh or two, but the inane plot has little else to offer. Compared to better-developed troublemakers such as James Marshall's Cut-Ups and George and Harold from Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" series (Scholastic), Morty and Ray are pretty forgettable.
Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description:

A classic horror movie on TV inspires Morty and Ray to paint a picture of themselves for all the wrong reasons. You may be tempted to cry out, "Stop!" But the boys are having too much fun to listen.

Bubbling with questions of pickle juice and Art, Daniel Pinkwater's riotous tale tells of nice boys heading for trouble and friendship put to the test. Visual virtuoso Jack E. Davis pulls out all the stops to give readers a wild ride.

Were this a movie, it would win an Oscar.