spectacular messy party - just what Harold wanted!
wonderful illustrations ... ( )

The son of emotionally distant parents, seven-year-old Harold Phillip Snipperpot had never had a birthday party of his own. When he became depressed, his parents called in local fixer, Mr. Ponzio, who promised to create a party that no one would ever forget. This proved to be more than the case, as the crowd of party animal guests who invaded the Snipperpot home caused all manner of disasters, but also led to humor, fun, and the forging (at last!) of a bond between Harold and his parents...

As a huge fan of Italian children's author and illustrator Beatrice Alemagna, I pounced on Harold Snipperpot's Best Disaster Ever when it came into work. I'm not sure whether it was first published in Italy or France - although from Italy, Alemagna lives in France currently, and I see editions from both countries were published in 2018 - but whatever the case may be, I am always happy to see another of her books being translated. All that said, although I found this one engaging, appreciating both the gorgeous mixed media artwork, and the emotional trajectory of the story, in which the repressed family learn to loosen up, have fun, and connect with one another, somehow I wasn't quite as entertained as I'd expected to be. I wanted to find this adventure as funny as Harold did... but my funny bone just wasn't tickled. I wavered between three and four stars here, and eventually settled on three and a half. Recommended to fans of Alemagna, and to anyone looking for children's stories about emotionally distant families learning to be closer and more loving. ( )