DON'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!

Name: DON'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!
Author: Bob Shea
ISBN: 978-142316807-2

by Bob Shea ; illustrated by Bob Shea ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014

Children often see themselves as the underdog in an adultcentric world; they’ll be rooting for the bunnies (all three…no...

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Buddy is one cranky, hungry monster.

He yells at the mountains, the trees and even the sun. “You’re not so hot, SUN!” But whom does he like to yell at the most? Bunnies! He’s going to eat them up. “No, please, no!” the bunnies quiver. “We were about to make cupcakes!” Buddy, not one to fall for trickery, declares, “Cupcakes first. Bunnies for dessert.” But of course, after eating nine cupcakes, he’s far too full to eat another bite. He promises to return for the bunnies the next day. Thus, the manipulation continues. The bunnies take him swimming so he’s too tired to eat them. Then they form the Stripey-Stripe Club—in honor of Buddy and his orange stripes! Buddy is having so much fun with the bunnies that he forgets the old adage: Don’t play with your food. Well, now he can’t eat the bunnies because they have become…his friends! Buddy, the chubby little monster, looks suspiciously similar to a certain red dinosaur (Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, 2008, etc.) and has the bravado to match. The ending goes a beat too far, but Shea’s storytelling still shines.

Children often see themselves as the underdog in an adultcentric world; they’ll be rooting for the bunnies (all three…no wait, 72 of them). (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014

ISBN: 978-142316807-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BEARSUIT TURTLE MAKES A FRIEND
by Bob Shea ; illustrated by Bob Shea

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PIZZA FOR BIRDS
by Bob Shea ; illustrated by Bob Shea

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PARROTFISH HAS A SUPERPOWER
by Jill Esbaum ; illustrated by Bob Shea

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PEANUT BUTTER & CUPCAKE

by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2014

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...

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The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.

Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 29, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SCAREDY SNACKS!
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

- BOOK REVIEW
SNACK ATTACK!
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

- BOOK REVIEW
BIG BROTHER PEANUT BUTTER
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)