Cover Image: The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe

The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe

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Member Reviews

Just look at Timothy Shmoe's face.

Not since "The Omen" has a kid clearly been MORE in league with the Devil.

Only joking, there's is no satanism in this lovely picture book (I think).

Young Timothy has the tendency to mess things up for other people (and cats), after which he has to write a note saying he's sorry to those people (and cats).

The book presents us with a seemingly endless cavalcade of Timothy doing his heinous business, followed by the note he writes to quell the person's (or cat's) distress.

I had a lot of fun reading this, the book made me laugh, and the pictures are just perfect.

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Timothy is a little boy who continually finds himself writing letters of apology for his faux pas. The story is told through his eyes using very humorous illustrations and handwritten notes that he dispenses back to the people around him. This is a fantastic story of repentance and unconditional love that is very entertaining.

Kids can relate to Timothy's mishaps and his thought process as he crafts I'm sorry notes that express his regrets regarding his behaviour. The book is a wonderful read aloud and can be used for a group read or a snuggle-time one. It will open a pathway for meaningful discussions on behavior, manners, etiquette, and forgiveness. Both young and old are sure to smile as the book is shared together.

The illustrations are extremely well done and enrich the text message... the message being that we all make mistakes in life and that our family is there for us... quick to forgive and forever loving. I highly recommend this book.

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Good fun book, even if its very construction makes it feel a little disjointed. Every time the narrator tries to discuss something about our titular Timothy, it gets interrupted as we read a letter of apology the poor kid has had to write – and boy hasn't he had to write more than a few?! You get a good sense of the family, with the parents trying to instil worthy sayings into him, about always telling the truth, and to count to ten – and yet we also see the modern chaos he creates, with the help of a hockey stick, an angry cat, a, er, a slope in the house – and thousands of things that weren't his fault honest to God they weren't. You won't have to be a clever young reader to find the quibbles, caveats and extenuating circumstances he ends his letters with amusing, and so this is an enjoyable little entertainment, however much it spoils its own flow.

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Told through a series of hilarious illustrations and then apology letters from Timothy to the people around him, this wonderful story of the resilience of family love and the mishaps of a little boy is highly entertaining! I definitely recommend it as both a group read aloud and a one-on-one read. The story is one all kids will relate to and it will open the way for some good discussions on consequences, intended and unintended, while making the reader laugh out loud.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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A funny and sweet story about a mischievous boy who makes a lot of mistakes. Told through his (hilarious) apology letters, the story follows Timothy and all the shenanigans he seems to find himself in. Its a great read for kids and it teaches a sweet lesson that we all make mistakes but it doesn’t mean our family will stop loving us.

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Absolutely like this book.
Timothy is a kid who has problems to control himself, but after all he is not a 'bad' kid. He just reminds me about the other kid David. (if you have read No, David. )

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I really liked this book and plan on putting it in my library The story is about a young boy who struggles with self-control and getting into trouble written through a series of apology letters.. I have some students that struggle with self-control and will maybe take comfort in the fact it isn't just them and that they are still loved regardless. I am am excited to add a book like this into my circulation. I also really enjoyed the illustrations.

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This story is about Timothy, a rambunctious boy, who always gets into mischief. The book recounts his antics and misbehavior and follows up each event with an explanation letter from Timothy apologizing. Children will laugh and parents may cringe! Timothy is a very relatable character as he is unapologetically honest and curious about everything. Although this is a fun book, it would also be great for prompting discussion with kids about behavior and apologies.

Thank you OwlKids Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

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Fun, laugh-out-loud picture book that pairs a series of Timothy's misadventures with the resulting (and often VERY honest) apology letters his father requires him to send. Adults and older readers will probably get the humor faster than small kids, but even the littlest ones should enjoy pairing Timothy's explanation of his choices with the illustrations that depict the resulting chaos.

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Timothy is a kid who finds himself writing a lot of letters of apology. I liked that the book acknowledged that some of his blunders are accidents and some are on purpose. But even when he messes up very bad, he finds out that his dad still loves him above it all. I think this is a funny and poignant story that the kid prone to trouble in your life will find relatable and hopeful.

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