Life of Shouty: Good Habits

By: NeonSeon
Publisher: Rixkin
Publication Date: May 2010
ISBN: 978-0984206902
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: April 2010

Shouty has a problem – he loves to procrastinate, is lazy, and his favorite sport is watching TV. Will he be able to change his bad habits?

In the charming new book, Life of Shouty: Good Habits, the reader is introduced to a lovable young man named Shouty. Shouty has all sorts of bad habits, from not cleaning his room to forgetting to floss. Noting Shouty’s unpleasant lifestyle, a very wise man gives him some great advice, “Practice good habits the rest of your life.” Unfortunately, like so many of his peers, Shouty thinks he can be lazy now, and deal with fixing his bad habits later. But “later” has a way of creeping up on a person and soon, Shouty is drowning in a sea of bad practices.

“Priorites? Please! ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’”
But then Shouty realized, 
“Life overwhelmed him like Kilimanjaro.”
Shouty finally understands that he needs to change his life, but how? 

“An effort was made, but the pull was great. 
Bad habits teased and lured him with bait.” 

Life of Shouty: Good Habits teaches children, in a very gentle and effective way, the consequences of bad decisions. Through the use of rhymes, young readers will quickly be drawn into the story and perhaps see a bit of themselves in the main character. They’ll see how Shouty had great plans for his life but because of his bad habits, his life was going to waste. Children will learn how important it is to have good habits and what they have to do to maintain them (Shouty keeps a list of goals).

The illustrations in this book are very simple, much like those you’d find in a comic book. Indeed, the author/illustrator originally created Shouty as a comic strip for a high school newspaper. With bright, bold colors, uncluttered backgrounds and an ability to portray each emotion via Shouty’s face, the author conveys his message perfectly.

Quill says: Shouty teaches children (and adults!) an important lesson about the tribulations of bad habits.

For more information on Life of Shouty: Good Habits, please visit the book's website at www.shouty.com