Tasty and homegrown, this hits a strange and specific trifecta: a lightly bilingual book that feels inclusive not only for...
A young boy who happens to be undead reveals himself as a vegetarian to parents who are not about to stop eating people parts.
Mo, a greenish, bespectacled kid, has an idea to share his love of the veggies he grows in secret: He’ll make a bloody-looking gazpacho, one that might fool mom and dad into appreciating tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and cilantro. The gambit fails. But even if the rotting folks can’t accept heaps of vegetables in their diet, they can learn to honor their son’s dietary desires. That’s an admirable message, but what really creeps up on readers is the Laceras’ deep sense of fun. Gravestone puns are to be expected, but to sneak in a reference to Jonathan Saffron Gore hits all the right geek buttons, at least for the kind of parent who’d gravitate to a zombie-themed picture book. And while understated, the family’s effortless use of occasional Spanish phrases (“arm-panadas”!) in a primarily English-speaking household feels true. The Spanish-language version (translated by Yanitzia Canetti) has its own specific jokes and reads just as smart and funny. The artwork throughout manages to make zombie-grown produce look appealing.
Tasty and homegrown, this hits a strange and specific trifecta: a lightly bilingual book that feels inclusive not only for Latinx kids, but also for different eaters and for those who aren’t afraid of gory, monster-themed humor. (recipes) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62014-794-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Silly scares and gruesome, good-natured fun for kids so inclined.
Big fangs come in small packages in this inventively creepy opus from France.
Bright colors and ghoulishly garish surprises await young readers brave enough to unfold the flaps in these amusingly over-the-top portraits of scary creatures. “Little fish / become big fish. / Beware of the piranha. / OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! / LET’S FIND A SAFE PLACE!” exhorts the text in larger and larger type. On recto, a tiny, wide-eyed green fish becomes a fearsome eating machine when the flap is folded down, revealing sharp teeth and a bite so wide the fish trebles in size. “A bat eats insects. / DO YOU WANT TO FIND OUT / WHAT THIS BAT EATS?” Unfolding the flap reveals a gaping maw of pink gums and razor-sharp fangs, suggesting a diet of anything it wants. A ghost, a toad, a crab, an octopus, a snake, a spider, a wolf, and, finally, a Halloween pumpkin full of bats and bugs round out the anatomically alarming cast. Interactivity and the element of surprise make this an amusing read for kids with strong stomachs and a sense of humor. Fair warning: Some of the drawings are pretty gross. The ghost, when extended, sports a rib cage and a stray trachea and esophagus, for example. Know your kid; this may not be suitable for those prone to nightmares. Though fairly stiff and secure, the fold-out flaps could tear in rough or excited hands.
Silly scares and gruesome, good-natured fun for kids so inclined. (Board book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-3-7913-7464-2
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Prestel
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
Sure to be a hit at Halloween, Mother’s Day, during a discussion about puns and when the popular question arises, “So what...
In this ode to hardworking mummy mothers, an impressive collection of careers is introduced with deliciously icky details sure to elicit appreciative “eww’s.”
With a palette dominated by saturated purples, greens, oranges and reds, a detailed, fantastical monster city comes to life. Alongside dragons, ghosts and one-eyed monsters, female mummies contribute their various talents to serve their bustling community. Readers meet a diverse cast, including a brave manicurist who specializes in sharpening claws, a doctor who prescribes “coffin syrup” to cure raspy moans, a waitress who serves frightening bowls of “Scream of Wheat,” a realtor who sells haunted dwellings and a dentist who expertly files vampires’ fangs. Each mummy expertly tackles the challenges of her profession whether it be working the graveyard shift or taming a classroom of rambunctious goblins. But in the end, “no matter where the mummies work— / In diners, stores, or schools— / They can’t unwind until they’re home… // To hug their boys and ghouls.” Kozjan obviously had fun creating the full-bleed spreads that successfully extend the humor in Horton’s well-paced, rhyming text. Readers will not mind the message delivered amid the amusing wordplay and clever, elaborate illustrations.
Sure to be a hit at Halloween, Mother’s Day, during a discussion about puns and when the popular question arises, “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-374-38524-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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