THE GULPS

It’s unfortunate that this disappointingly didactic and extremely insensitive tale of a fat family that finds fitness on the farm is guaranteed a place in most libraries. The enormous talent of both author and illustrator just can’t overcome the predictable plot or make the overt prejudice against the overweight palatable. The Gulps, a mostly obese family of anthropomorphized rabbits, never met fast food they didn’t love. Only the youngest child, Dawn, enjoys healthy snacks and being active. When the family sets out one day for “Dizzyworld,” their RV breaks down under their weight. They find shelter with the Spratt family (subtle it’s not) and inexplicably end up spending the summer on their farm. Despite initial resistance, they eventually embrace healthy eating and regular exercise. Of course, obesity is a serious health problem, and the picture-book format may not offer opportunities to examine nuances. But it’s still frustrating to compare this to the way that Wells’s irrepressible Max or Brown’s Arthur might have encouraged kids to be healthier. Well-intentioned but decidedly substandard. (Picture book. 3-6)