THE TROUBLE WITH CAULIFLOWER

A delightful tale about the mysterious relationship between food and fortune. Sadie, who’s been cooking stew all day, invites Mortimer, a koala, to supper. The ingredients are banana skins (“Mmm,” says Mortimer), coconut meat (“Yum yum,” says Mortimer), and cauliflower—“Ack!” screams Mortimer. “I like the way it tastes,” he explains, “It’s just that whenever I eat cauliflower, I have bad luck the next day.” Hunger and politeness temporarily beat superstition and Mortimer eats the delicious stew. But sure enough, the next day brings a run of bad luck worthy of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It’s only Sadie’s “vegetable surprise casserole” that can unseat the superstition: Mortimer eats it, has a lovely day and learns only later what its “secret” was. Astute readers will have gleefully guessed, of course. Spirited watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are full of movement and humor, and the text is freshly funny right up to the hilarious last line. (Picture book. 3-6)