TINY SPOON VS. LITTLE FORK

A utensil showdown mixes rivalry with teamwork.

“Wait a minute! Who are you?” Tiny Spoon and Little Fork demand of each other in a shared speech bubble. The expressive, anthropomorphized objects compete for Baby’s attention. Pastel yellow Tiny Spoon and lavender Little Fork each boast about their great lineages in separate spreads that mimic photo albums. The only time an adult is seen is when Tiny Spoon recounts Dad, Baby, and Tiny Spoon’s first solid food meal. Baby has light brown skin and seems unaware of the feud, scooping up both gadgets while chewing on a pink bunny stuffy. True to life, Baby tosses the trio across the room, and they must work together to get back to Baby for breakfast time. Large cartoon panels make this picture book an introduction to the graphic-novel format for younger children. Older children will appreciate the humor of this story most but may not gravitate to a book centering on a baby. Opportunities abound to build vocabulary related to movement as the tools “shimmy” and “climb” their way to a launching position. There are no lulls in action, but there is little to make this one stand out from the rest. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Fine as an appetizer but not the main course.