LET GEORGE DO IT! Illustrated by Whitney Martin Format: Hardcover ISBN: 0689878079 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Pub. Date: 2005

Reviews

NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Bookstore shelves are jammed with mediocre children's books by celebrities -- Jerry Seinfeld, Katie Couric, Billy Crystal. For the most part, it's akin to literary child abuse. But just when it might seem there's nothing worthy in the firmament of stars turning to kid lit, here comes George Foreman to knock the stereotype flat. Foreman, a two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, may not have reached one-name status in the manner of Ali, Madonna or Shemp. But he has found ways to extend his fame beyond the ring, most notably through his popular line of electric grills. He is also known for an unusual family arrangement: he named each of his five sons George. As in George, George, George, George and George. Sound like a Dr. Seuss story? Actually, it was. There's a story called ''Too Many Daves,'' in which a mother regrets having named all her sons Dave. But this is real life, and just about anyone who hears about the houseful of Georges must wonder how it works from day to day. Collaborating with the veteran children's writer Fran Manushkin and the experienced animator Whitney Martin, who did the illustrations, Foreman tells a beguiling little story about life with George and various and sundry other Georges big and small, including some family pets. ''Today is Big George's birthday,'' Mom tells the assembled boys. ''Can I count on all of you to help with the party?'' '' 'You bet,' said George, George, George and George. 'Urgle,' said Baby George.'' ''Let George Do It!'' is a book to be read aloud, a running joke of repetition and many Georges, every one of them trying to help, every one of them cleaning up and making a bigger mess in the process -- especially with mischievous Baby George smashing raw eggs between his hands, opening the vacuum cleaner and throwing trash around. Every time the delivery man shows up, all the Georges -- including Big George, beaming, Popeye-armed and vast -- rush excitedly to the front door to see if Dad's birthday present has come yet. It's chaos, but the happy kind. There are plugs aplenty to train the tiny consumers-to-be in brand recognition. One George gets his cake recipe from a George Foreman cookbook, while another wears a Foreman Youth Center T-shirt. There are also nifty touches throughout. Georges are tucked away in the witty illustrations, much like Ninas in an Al Hirschfeld drawing: that framed portrait of George Washington looks handsome hanging over the hallway table, and so does the smaller one of George Bernard Shaw on the table beneath, and there are pictures of Georges Harrison and Burns by the stairs. An observant child might also notice that the baby gets bath after bath after bath in the course of the story. George Foreman is no classic children's book author, but he's got a point: ''A name is what you make of it,'' he writes in the book's dedication. He continues in the same vein in the acknowledgments, writing, ''Thanks to God for our five boys, who have never asked, 'Why do we have the same name -- George?' '' After reading ''Let George Do It,'' it's easy to see why the thought might never have crossed their minds. John Schwartz reports on science and technology for The New York Times.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten Grade 3 –This family story packs a humorous punch. Big George's five sons–all named George–agree to help their mother get ready for their father's birthday party. As if a house with five boys weren't chaotic enough, five boys with the same name as Dad's make for a comedy of errors. As the children rush to open each of three deliveries, eager to present their father with their gifts, they find a package of diapers for Baby George; a carton of dog food for bulldog George; and a pet bird, which Big George names–you guessed it. You can never have too many Georges. At the party, one of them tells his dad, Remember, any time you need help–Let George do it! The watercolor, cartoon illustrations are hilarious, from the shirtless, skinny teen making muscles in the bathroom mirror to the mischievous baby tweaking his brother's nose and flinging food. Framed portraits in every room depict other famous Georges, including Carver, Orwell, and our first President. The whole family looks so happy and congenial that readers will want to visit with them again and again–or maybe change their own names.
Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

ME AND GEORGE FOREMAN!