Homework by Arthur Yorinks

This is a funny story where the homework supplies come alive at night. They all work together to do Tony’s homework while he is sleeping. He has no idea how the essay got there but he copies it over with his handwriting and hands it in. Although the story involves homework and Tony attending school, I don’t see it as any educational value or including a moral lesson. I thought it was a fun story though. As a kid, I always liked movies and books that had characters that came alive at night or if someone says the magic word like abracadabra. It makes the hamster wheel in my head spin and puts no limits on any innovative thoughts that the story brings. It obviously doesn’t teach Tony to do his homework but it does make you wonder what he was thinking when his homework was done when he woke up. I commend the illustrator for adding bugged out eyes and arms in the pens, pencil, and eraser when they came alive. This added plenty of emphasis to their expressions. I liked that the inside of the cover pages connected with the subject matter. It had pen splotches everywhere just like how it looked on Tony’s homework.

The ending seemed a bit abrupt. I think I would have appreciated the book more if it had a more conclusive ending. We don’t find out if the homework supplies come alive again or what happens to Tony. There are so many unanswered questions that it started to make the book less and less exciting to read. It is not something I would recommend to others unless there is a sequel that can paint me a better picture telling more about what Tony is thinking, feeling, and doing.