“Fum, foe, fie, fee, monsters don’t eat broccoli,” but it turns out that they do eat all of the other things depicted on Hendra’s opening endpapers, and more: wheels, ships, boulders, buildings and rockets. Oh—and they also savor trees, remarking that “redwoods are delectable,” and later referring to “a clump of giant maples and their yummy, gummy bark…” The book’s punch line is that the monsters are actually imaginative children pretending that the foods on their plates are all of the things listed in the text and depicted in the illustrations. The penultimate double-page spread reveals that the imagined buildings are Swiss cheese slices, rocket ships are carrot sticks, wheels are sliced tomatoes and trees are, you guessed it, broccoli. The vibrant gouache illustrations capture the silly playfulness of the text as goofy, rounded, toothy monsters delight in their odd meals in a variety of settings. Everything culminates in the closing endpapers’ depiction of the children’s foods, rather than the opening endpapers’ references to their imagined counterparts. A fine serving for storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-375-85686-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A somewhat less didactic take on the nature of difference than that found in Bogacki's Cat & Mouse (1995). Two creatures—one that looks like an animated pencil and the other, much larger, like a furry, four-footed tribble—engage each other. ``I like you!'' says the furry one. ``I hate you!'' replies the little one, which goes on to enumerate the things it hates: the furry one's shape (under which it hides in a rain storm); the furry one's teeth (which protect the little one from attackers); the furry one's eyes (whose bright beams illuminate the darkness). When the large creature finally retreats under this barrage, the little one implores, ``Don't go away! I like you!'' in typical toddler manner. The colors are bright, the edges fuzzy, and the whole thing will please those who think no picture book should be without its message. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: March 18, 1997
ISBN: 0-374-33544-3
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Mr. Bumble is an egg-shaped bee whose black sweater over his yellow body accounts for his stripes (he lacks the most off-putting aspect of a bee—the stinger). He's building a house and his friends want to help out, but they need to select the right carpentry tools. A hammer, drill, shovel, saw, or rake: Which one should Mole use to cut wood? Each page presents a set of choices, and a gatefold conceals the answer—e.g., Mole carefully cuts a measured board with the saw. The tools are labeled and plainly drawn; preschoolers will be able to identify them easily. The color scheme is bold and basic, with plenty of peppy red, blue, orange, and green. After all the happy clatter, there's one task left, and that's for Mr. Bumble to move into his new, slightly off-kilter home—it turns out that his helpers are better friends than they are carpenters. A second book, Dressing Up With Mr. Bumble (ISBN: 0-7636-0075-X), makes the same amiable game of costume choices. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-7636-0074-1
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1997
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