Retro art meets wry humor in this very funny tale of hubris set in a diner.
Bacon is one popular dude—and the love in which he basks includes a hefty dose of self-love. On Page 1, the anthropomorphic Bacon gazes admiringly at his reflection in a spoon and then parades around the countertop like a rock star while Egg, Waffle, and Pancake look on in awe. And yet the next spread shows a scarf- and beret-clad French Toast sneering while twirling a skinny moustache. “But he didn’t count because French Toast doesn’t like anyone” proclaims the text, trading un petit peu on ethnic stereotype but staying just this side of offensive since the book as a whole invites laughter with a bit of edge to it. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the story’s culmination, when our egotistical meathead of a hero gets his comeuppance: after turning his back on friends (Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado) and leaving a baconless cheeseburger to cry, “Fine. Have it your way,” in a possible nod to the old Burger King slogan, Bacon ends up on a fork, gobbled down for breakfast by a bacon-loving customer. Throughout, Wight’s expressive illustrations meet DiPucchio’s text at every humorous turn as they define the foodstuffs—er, characters—with cartoonish panache.
A bacon book so funny that perhaps even some vegetarians will love it. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-374-30052-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 6, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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