©2006 Kyle M. Stone
Client: Disney/Hyperion
Medium: Acrylic & Mixed Media on Paper
Size: various sizes
Use: Children Book

REVIEWS

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2 Ernest, the milquetoast protagonist of this quirky tale, is a perfectly obedient son. He cleans, follows the rules, and never has fun until new neighbors move in next door. Curiously reminiscent of the Munsters, Vlapid and his mother have a different idea of the work it takes to make a house a home. Zany antics like swinging from the chandelier in a red cape made from the drapes ensue, cementing the boys' friendship. Stone's mixed-media illustrations are slightly creepy, especially the characters' faces. However, children will love the details and Vlapid and Ernest's wild antics, which are depicted through a combination of well-placed text and jaunty lines. The juxtaposition of orderly equals boring and chaos equals amusement might irk some adults, but children will delight in a house in which there are no rules. Pair this joyful read-aloud with David Shannon's No, David! (Scholastic, 1998) for a laughter-filled, visual feast of children behaving badly. Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA
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From Booklist
“Errrrrrrrrrrrrnest?” comes the cry from the creepy house on the hill. “Yes, mother?” comes the reply. It's a setup straight out of Psycho, and though things don't go the way of stabbings and showers, Heide and Pierce's tale is full of foreboding. Ernest is a little boy who, as drawn by Stone, resembles a middle-aged man squashed down to midget proportions. He is odd in his behavior, too: he scrubs and cleans and does whatever his mother says: “Ernest never: spilled, whined, dawdled, talked back, got his own way . . . or had a good time.” Then he bikes over to meet the new neighbors (whose house looks even more like the Psycho house), and The Addams Family look-alikes within ask Ernest for help fixing up their place, too—though their perception of a perfect house is a tad different than what Ernest is used to. The story stops right when it seems to be starting, but that doesn't take away from the creepily formal text and the positively Gaiman-esque dementia of Stone's art. Grades K-2. --Daniel Kraus

Publishers Weekly
With a receding hairline, bowtie, and suspenders, young Ernest looks like he's well on his way to becoming a middle-aged momma's boy. "Ernest always listened to his mother. Nice little children always listen to their mothers," deadpans the narrator, setting up the kid-pleasing mayhem to come. When Ernest goes to meet the new family next door (because mothers "want their children to meet nice children who will be a good influence"), he meets Vlapid, who resembles a miniature bat-eared Frankenstein, and his vampirish mother. She, too, demands obedience, which involves scribbling on the walls and swinging from the chandeliers. Heide and Pierce's (Tio Armando) slyly restrained tone is an effective straight man to Stone's (I Love My Pirate Papa) embellished mixed-media illustrations. His offbeat characters evoke those of David Shannon, but Stone surprises and further engages his audience with a palette of rich, varied textures. A closeup image of lace serves as a tablecloth, while a green field appears to be a wash of green paint over a floral Victorian wallpaper in reds and yellows--an interesting juxtaposition, not unlike the two new friends. Ages 3-7. (Aug.)

Children's Literature
Ernest is one of those good boys who do whatever their mothers tell them to. He also never has a good time. He works hard along with his mother to keep the house clean and tidy. When a new family moves next door, Ernest asks to go over to see if there is someone there to play with. A young boy named Vlapid and his mother greet him with their very different list of the work they want done to make their house "a home." And from room to room they go, creating messy chaos everywhere. And that's just the way Vlapid's mother likes it! When Ernest goes home, he tells his mother that Vlapid always listens to his mother too. Convinced that he will be a good influence on Ernest, she asks him to play with Vlapid every day. And of course happy Ernest always listens to his mother. Stone's mixed-media double-page scenes contrast Vlapid's spooky house with the bright, tidy home cared for by Ernest and his mother. We never see his mother, but cartoon-y Ernest contrasts with the wide-eyed Vlapid and his mother. Even the pictures hanging on the walls contribute sly humor to this tale with a touch of macabre. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Ernest always helps out at home and always does what his mother tells him to do. “Ernest never: spilled, whined, dawdled, talked back, got his own way . . . or had a good time.” When a new family moves in up the hill, Ernest pays them a visit (after getting his mother’s permission, of course) and meets Vlapid. “You look like the kind of boy who always listens to his mother,” Vlapid’s mother tells him. Vlapid’s mother has a to-do list of her own--Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room. It turns out Vlapid, too, always listens to his mother, and the two boys set to work, wreaking havoc in each room. Vlapid’s mother is thrilled with the results. Florence Parry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce’s deliciously subversive picture book story is paired with funny, pitch-perfect illustrations by Kyle M. Stone contrasting Ernest’s straight-laced, uptight existence at home with the Vlapid’s Addams-esque family life. (MS) ©2010 Cooperative Children’s Book Center .School of Education,University of Wisconsin-Madison

Sacramento Book Review
...Florence Parry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce have created a fabulous cautionary tale for any mother, and the humor makes Always Listen to Your Mother a fun book with a great message that is understood by even the youngest reader. It is a book that children will want to read again and again, and it is one that parents will love to read too.
Kyle M. Stone’s fun and unique illustrations complete the story line in a perfect manner, and the strange and spooky depiction of Ernest and his world captivates children’s attention and keeps them spellbound.
Reviewed by J Rodney

/bookaunt.blogspot.com
Subversive, witty stories are becoming more popular for the picture book crowd, perhaps as much to entertain their parents as to amuse 4- to 6-year-olds. I think we can also give some credit to The Simpsons for educating kids about satire. And then there's the recent wave of paranormals, which is largely attributed to the popularity of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books and movies.
All of which paves the way for Always Listen to Your Mother, a story by Florence Parry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce, illustrated by Kyle M. Stone.
...Stone's soft-edged mixed-media illustrations make a nice fit for this clever tale about different parenting styles and what they mean for kids. Just in time for Halloween, but also right on schedule for making family in-jokes about listening to your mother, which is a year-round sport.

Goodreads
Ernest is good boy. He does what his mother asks, helps her with household chores.and never has any fun. When a new boy moves in next door, Ernest's mother encourages her son to make friends. Nice children always do. But the new neighbors seem a little bit...strange.  In fact, you might call them downright monstrous. And listening to his new friend Vlapid's mother means Er...moreErnest is good boy. He does what his mother asks, helps her with household chores.and never has any fun. When a new boy moves in next door, Ernest's mother encourages her son to make friends. Nice children always do. But the new neighbors seem a little bit...strange.  In fact, you might call them downright monstrous. And listening to his new friend Vlapid's mother means Ernest must do things he'd never dare try at home. And it's fantastic!  Florence Parry Heide and Kyle M. Stone combine forces to show the little-known joys of doing as you're told. 3.55 of 5 stars.

Bookpage
Another good no-scares book is Always Listen to Your Mother written by the mother/daughter team of Florence Parry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce. Ernest is a good little boy, who always “picked up his toys, ate all his vegetables, sat up straight, and listened to his mother.” When a new family moves next door, Ernest befriends young Vlapid, who loves to swing from the chandelier, write on the walls and create all sorts of havoc. This might seem a friendship destined for disaster, but the joke is that Vlapid’s mother likes life that way, and Ernest can dutifully report that Vlapid always listens to his mother. Children will love this gentle tale, made all the more fun by the whimsical illustrations of Kyle M. Stone.Feature by Alice Cary