A FORK'S TALE
written and illustrated by Cindy Rodella-Purdy
In author/illustrator Rodella-Purdy’s picture book, a fork has an adventure at the diner where it lives.
An unnamed fork narrates its day, starting with a relaxing sojourn in a dishwasher before a server carries it into an empty restaurant: “With the sound of footsteps and dishes clanking, it is time to go to work,” the fork notes. A baby immediately grabs it and upsettingly bangs it on a table; however, the child quickly puts the fork to use, stabbing a piece of broccoli, a squishy tomato, and a carrot, and leading the utensil to think, “Oh no! It is going to eat me!” The fork then dizzily spins through spaghetti before the baby flings it to the floor, where someone sweeps it up with a broom and treats it to another calming wash. There’s not a lot of story here, and young readers will surely have some questions; for instance, why would a fork fear being eaten? Is this its first day on the job? And who lets a small baby flail a pointy object around? However, the art is the real draw here. Rodella-Purdy’s soft watercolors are lovely to look at, and the fork’s face is remarkably expressive, effectively managing to convey distress, sadness, surprise, and the wonderful serenity of a hot bath.
A somewhat odd story, accompanied by appealing illustrations.