  | Tales for very picky eaters Author: Schneider, Josh | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
A father tells outlandish stories while trying to get his young son, who is a very picky eater, to eat foods he thinks he will not like.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 2.90 Points: .5 Quiz: 143580 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: K-2 Reading Level: 1.70 Points: 1.0 Quiz: 53741 | |
Common Core Standards
Grade 1 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 1.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 1 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 1.RL Craft & Structure
Grade 1 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 1.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 1 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Rang
Grade 2 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 2.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 2 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 2.RL Integration & Knowledge of Ideas
Grade 2 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 2.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 2 → Reading → CCR College & Career Readiness Anchor Standards fo
Grade 3 → Reading → RL Literature → 3.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 3 → Reading → RL Literature → 3.RL Integration & Knowledge of Ideas
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/01/11)
School Library Journal (06/01/11)
Booklist (05/15/11)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (A) (07/11)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 05/15/2011 In stories spotlighting disgusting broccoli, smelly lasagna, repulsive milk, lumpy oatmeal, and slimy eggs, this hilarious chapter book details mealtime standoffs between a young boy, James, and his dad. The mixed-media cartoon illustrations extend the humor and drama in scenes of James, who is furious as Dad offers wry alternatives to the food James refuses: We have this very sweaty sock, soaked in sweat sweated by the world’s fastest and tastiest runner. As the stories progress, Dad’s fantasies get wilder: a troll, who lives in the basement and wears a Kiss the Cook apron, has whipped up the mushroom lasagna; the carton of eggs in the refrigerator are actually dinosaur eggs. In the climax, Dad’s stories finally convince James to eat, and in the closing scene, he smiles at his empty plate. Eager and picky eaters alike will enjoy the wordplay and outrageous situations, which create humor from a familiar source of family tension. - Copyright 2011 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 06/01/2011 Gr 1–3—James is a very picky eater, but after hearing his father's alternatives, he reconsiders. Dad's choices are outrageous and will have children laughing and turning the pages. In the first of five, "The Tale of the Disgusting Broccoli," it's either eat the broccoli or eat dirt "walked on by the most skilled chefs"; "fine gum, carefully chewed"; or a "very sweaty sock." In another tale, James eats mushroom lasagna that "smells funny" because he doesn't want the troll that lives in the basement to lose his job as cook. The sophisticated yet silly humor will appeal to new readers wanting something a little different. The comical illustrations are done in watercolor, ink, and colored pencil and are surrounded by plenty of white space. A perfect segue into chapter books, this easy reader is sure to be a crowd pleaser.—Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2011 The father in this compact early reader is a clever strategist indeed. When young James declares that broccoli is disgusting, Dad spins yarns about far more disgusting options; when James refuses lasagna, Dad warns him about the ire of the spurned troll chef; and so on until James finally creates a slew of his own outlandish scenarios, only to have his father tell him he should try eggs simply because “you might like them.” There’s not really any plot to any of the five stories, just the initial refusal followed by Dad’s creative means of persuading James to give it a go, which gets a bit repetitive. There is a fair dose of gross appeal, however, and while Dad’s alternative descriptions are a mixed bag (some are funny, some kind of lame), there is inherent humor in his witty efforts to win the table wars. Schneider’s mixed-media compositions offer plenty of visual clues for early chapter-book readers. The imagined scenarios, depicting everything from a troll covered in gnawing rats to a lump of oatmeal that has come to life, are more successful than the moments of realism, which tend to be stiff and somewhat lifeless. While this may get some action as a readaloud, it is far more geared towards reluctant readers with a penchant for the disgusting. HM - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.
