The legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt

cover image

Ill. by Adam Rex. HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780008252397
In the ancient and distant realm called the Kingdom of the Backgarden lives the warrior Rock. He believes he is the greatest because no one can give him a worthy challenge that will prove his superiority. While his battle with the clothes peg and the apricot entertain the backyard dwellers, he feels unsatisfied so he leaves the garden in search of a worthy foe.
Meanwhile in the Empire of Mum's Study, Paper is feeling the same way. No one can outwit him and so he, too, leaves to look for a worthy opponent. At the same time, in the Kitchen Realm, Scissors has beaten both Sticky Tape and Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets so she also goes on a quest to find something better.
And in the great cavern of Two-Car Garage, the three meet for the first time...
Children (and adults) everywhere play the traditional game of Rock Paper Scissors to help them make decisions and reach compromises and now the mastermind behind The day the crayons quit has brought us their true story. Told in narrative and speech bubbles which make the most of bold fonts and imaginative layout, and accompanied by fantastic pictures that bring the most mundane objects to life and emphasise the action, this is a story that will be enjoyed again and again. Children will love the boldness and loudness that oozes from the pages and you can just see them swaggering around like the characters as they take on their favourite.
'Dramatic', 'raucous', 'bombastic', 'energetic', 'outrageous' - all have been used to describe this story. Apart from encapsulating it perfectly, what fun students can have suggesting their own adjectives for it and investigating what those ones mean. Further teachers' notes are available.
A superhero origin story of a slightly different type!
Barbara Braxton

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