MILK GOES TO SCHOOL

Border continues his series of books about anthropomorphized food, this time focusing on Milk and her first day of school.

It seems as though Milk has started off on the wrong bent-wire foot, so to speak. When Cupcake compliments Milk’s new backpack, the beverage thanks her and says it was a gift from her dad, who says she’s “la crème de la crème.” That’s all Waffle needs to hear in order to declare Milk to be spoiled. And so begins a back and forth between Milk and Waffle that quickly becomes tedious in its repetitiveness. Waffle does have a bit of a point about Milk’s behavior, but that doesn’t excuse his bullying, and it doesn’t take long before Milk is slinging it right back at Waffle. A couple of accidents (they are foodstuff kindergarteners, after all) later, Milk is contrite, and her classmates, even Waffle, are forgiving. Border sprinkles in lots of visual puns; though they will go over the heads of the target audience, adult readers may chuckle (Apple sits at a desk, paper airplane in hand and Milton’s Paradise Lost on the desktop). Several of his spreads are photographed from unusual perspectives, which may make it difficult for young readers to puzzle out the scenes.

Border’s shtick goes on far too long for readers to want seconds of Milk and Waffle.