After Jasper John Dooley's beloved Nan goes on vacation without him, he goes pththth. It feels just like when the air leaked out of his beach ball. At school the next day, he writes a story about a snake that gets stepped on a lot. The story is so long that it needs staples, but he accidentally staples it to his stomach. That eventually somehow necessitates a full 28 Band-Aids, since it just keeps feeling like the air is escaping from his sad body, possibly through the staple holes. Jasper and best friend Ori, who is given to prefacing his statements with, "The thing is..." (a phrase that neatly captures his amiable take on the world), try to build a cruise ship out of leftover lumber, not altogether a success. Ori gets a bit bossy. A final trial comes when Jasper gets to bring home the class hamster for the weekend but accidentally loses it in his house. As in Jasper's first outing (Star of the Week, 2012), nothing truly compelling happens, but the concerns of this early grade schooler are so aptly, charmingly and amusingly depicted that it's impossible not to be both captivated and compelled. Clanton's simple black-and-white illustrations feature skinny bodies, oversized heads--and lots of smiles. Early chapter book or read-aloud, this effort will leave its audience with lots of smiles, too. (Fiction. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 1-3-Jasper, introduced in Star of the Week (2012), feels a little puncture when his Nan leaves for vacation. And when he accidentally staples his snake story to his stomach, that deflated feeling just gets worse. Jasper's grownups indulge him a bit, but not too much, in this sweet book about managing feelings. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Jasper's (Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week) beloved Nan goes on a cruise without him. He manages to survive the rough week without their regular Wednesday visit with the help of his parents, a not-so-bad babysitter, and others. (And lots of Band-Aids.) The problems of missing someone and adjusting to a new routine are pleasantly explored in this quirky chapter book. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When Nan leaves for a weeklong cruise, Jasper's nervous tummy feels pththth, like a leaky beach ball. He worries particularly about missing his Wednesdays with Nan, their games of Go Fish, and sharing jujubes. The week starts with Jasper accidentally stapling papers to his tummy, creating two holes and requiring multiple Band-Aids. Despite his worry, time passes as Jasper builds a cruise ship (and fights) with his best friend Ori, meets the new babysitter, visits the principal's office for doing a Very Dangerous Thing at recess, and captures an escaped hamster. Fans will relish the return of Jasper and his irrepressible spirit.--Harold, Suzanne Copyright 2010 Booklist