: A boy refuses to clean up the messes he leaves in his house, which attracts all kinds of pests, like ants, mice, and finally… barbarians. The barbarians keep on coming and making a mess of the place, when the boy finally realizes the only way to get rid of them is to clean up the whole house. After cleaning everything up, all the barbarians leave and he promises to always clean up after himself.

Ignoring his mother's many admonitions about cleaning up in this humorous picture-book, a young boy thinks: what's the worst thing that can happen? As it turns out, the consequences of being a slob can be quite... barbaric. Hordes of barbarians descend upon his home, making a general nuisance of themselves, even preventing the boy from sleeping with their crumb fights. Nothing seems to help, until the boy finally does what he should have in the first place: clean up after himself...

A hilarious look at a common childhood problem - namely, a certain lack of hygiene in personal habits, and a reluctance to clean up after oneself - Great, Now We've Got Barbarians! pairs an entertaining text with humorous artwork. Although quite fastidious as an adult, I do recall a period as a young child when I was quite messy, and probably frustrated my parents no end, so I identified with the young protagonist here. I would imagine many young reader/listeners will do likewise. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories that address the problem of cleanliness in a humorous and engaging way. ( )

GREAT, NOW WE’VE GOT BARBARIANS! by Jason Carter Eaton is a hilarious picture book featuring uninvited guests.

When his mom says his dirty room will attract pests, a young boy doesn’t expect to be invaded by barbarians! This cautionary tale will teach even the sloppiest kids about the importance of a clean room.

The illustrator’s colorful illustrations of silly situations will keep readers entertained from beginning to end.

Librarians will find this humorous tale a hit with children. Use this picture book as a springboard for creative writing activities focusing on household chores and other everyday activities.

Published by Candlewick on February 14, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher. ( )

Eaton, author of the sweet and silly How to train a train pairs of up with wacky Mark Fearing, illustrator of favorites like How Martha saved her parents from green beans and The book that eats people to bring us a wonderfully wacky tale about the importance of cleaning up after yourself.

What do a few cupcake crumbs in bed matter? Wonders a small boy, as his mom and sister look with disgust at his messy room, scattered with toys, clothes, and leftover food. Pests? Ants, flies, and mice could be fun! "But the next day..." they've got a very unusual pest. "His name was Vlad, and he demanded an entire cupcake." The boy thinks this could be fun, but as more and more barbarians show up, it turns into a full-scale invasion and it's not so fun anymore! Even the exterminator can't do anything. The boy realizes there's only one thing to do: Clean up. The problem is solved...until he spills some water and then....

This is awesome. I can't wait to read it, with plenty of expression and silly voices, to kids on my class visits. It's got that perfect tongue-in-cheek humor that will make both first graders and adults snicker at the same time. Fearing's silly-gross illustrations show a delightful variety of gruesome barbarians and parents will find the perfect tagline "clean up or we'll get barbarians!" to talk their kids into laughing and being a little more tidy.

Verdict: Preorder now. Awesomeness awaits.

ISBN: 9780763668273; Published 2017 by Candlewick; Uncorrected proof provided by publisher at BEA; Purchased for the library