A delightful and silly treat for gourmets, gourmands, and picky eaters alike.
A determined chef and an enterprising waiter serve a finicky patron.
Rene, a young tan-skinned woman, washes windows and “save[s] up every bean” to realize her dream of opening her own eatery, the titular cafe. The only applicant for the waiter position is Glumfoot, a short, squat, pointy-eared, green-skinned fellow. Morning after morning the cafe remains discouragingly empty until Glumfoot brings in a customer: a huge, green, lumpy-headed ogre. Unimpressed by Rene’s menu, the ogre requests some icky, off-menu items: pickled bats, slugs, and battered mice. When Rene bravely suggests a cheddar tart, the ogre counters, “A bag of bats! That smells like fart!” Rene nearly gives up, but Glumfoot, realizing that the ogre’s aversion to different foods is rooted in his desire for the familiar, deploys a clever solution that results in rave reviews from the ogre. The jaunty rhythm and rhymes of the text are lighthearted, while the warm, cartoonlike illustrations are droll and highly expressive, reflecting the author/illustrator’s background as an animator. Rene’s clothing, kitchen, and the cafe's interior have a pleasantly retro feel, and the story concludes with an abundant variety of fairy-tale creatures who come to dine at last.
A delightful and silly treat for gourmets, gourmands, and picky eaters alike. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780063345492
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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