A Busy Creature’s Day Eating!
By:
Apples! Berries! Cereal! Is there anything this Busy Creature can't crunch? Full-color illustrations.
ISBN: 9781368013529
JLG Release: Apr 2018
Sensitive Areas:
No sensitive areas
Topics:
Monsters
, Food habits
, Alphabet
, Humorous stories
Awards & Honors
Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth - 2018
NYPL Best Books for Kids - 2018
Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Booklist*, The Horn Book Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal*, Publishers Weekly*
School Library Journal
[STARRED REVIEW]
“Do not try this at home!” cautions Willems as he proceeds to tell the story of a hungry little purple creature that eagerly eats its way through the alphabet, though not without consequence. Snuggling in bed with a one-eyed Knuffle bunny, the protagonist awakens to a new day of eating and “AAAA—Z [STARRED REVIEW]
“Do not try this at home!” cautions Willems as he proceeds to tell the story of a hungry little purple creature that eagerly eats its way through the alphabet, though not without consequence. Snuggling in bed with a one-eyed Knuffle bunny, the protagonist awakens to a new day of eating and “AAAA—ZING!” it’s off to the kitchen where the hungry tyke gobbles up apples, berries, cereal, doughnuts, and eggs (straight from the crate). Momentarily stumped on what to eat next, it proceeds to chow down on the furniture. Further courses feature other food and non-food items from ice cream to lunch boxes with equal enthusiasm; but the plot changes when the tenacious eater groans and then it’s a mad dash to the bathroom (potty) with dad coming to the rescue. (“Queasy? Rice. Saltines. Tea.”) The accompanying illustrations speak volumes as readers watch the poor, now slightly green, purple creature accept comfort from its concerned father who finally deposits the exhausted little one back into bed to snuggle once again with bunny; after all, tomorrow is another day. Willems’s distinct clever, outrageous humor gives children a hilarious picture book alphabet that tells a story with minimal text. Challenge students to plan the character’s menu for the rest of the week or pair with Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty for another culinary alphabet adventure. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries serving children.—Barbara Auerbach, formerly at New York City Public Schools, NY
“Do not try this at home!” cautions Willems as he proceeds to tell the story of a hungry little purple creature that eagerly eats its way through the alphabet, though not without consequence. Snuggling in bed with a one-eyed Knuffle bunny, the protagonist awakens to a new day of eating and “AAAA—Z [STARRED REVIEW]
“Do not try this at home!” cautions Willems as he proceeds to tell the story of a hungry little purple creature that eagerly eats its way through the alphabet, though not without consequence. Snuggling in bed with a one-eyed Knuffle bunny, the protagonist awakens to a new day of eating and “AAAA—ZING!” it’s off to the kitchen where the hungry tyke gobbles up apples, berries, cereal, doughnuts, and eggs (straight from the crate). Momentarily stumped on what to eat next, it proceeds to chow down on the furniture. Further courses feature other food and non-food items from ice cream to lunch boxes with equal enthusiasm; but the plot changes when the tenacious eater groans and then it’s a mad dash to the bathroom (potty) with dad coming to the rescue. (“Queasy? Rice. Saltines. Tea.”) The accompanying illustrations speak volumes as readers watch the poor, now slightly green, purple creature accept comfort from its concerned father who finally deposits the exhausted little one back into bed to snuggle once again with bunny; after all, tomorrow is another day. Willems’s distinct clever, outrageous humor gives children a hilarious picture book alphabet that tells a story with minimal text. Challenge students to plan the character’s menu for the rest of the week or pair with Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty for another culinary alphabet adventure. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries serving children.—Barbara Auerbach, formerly at New York City Public Schools, NY
Horn Book
Willems’s offbeat take on an ABC book follows a wide-eyed little-kid purple
monster, dressed in striped PJs, enthusiastically eating its way through the day—
and the furniture. The culinary adventure begins at the breakfast table: a is for
“Apples!” (a dozen of them, all being juggled toward the creature’s mouth Willems’s offbeat take on an ABC book follows a wide-eyed little-kid purple
monster, dressed in striped PJs, enthusiastically eating its way through the day—
and the furniture. The culinary adventure begins at the breakfast table: a is for
“Apples!” (a dozen of them, all being juggled toward the creature’s mouth), b is
for “Berries!” (even more), and c is for “Cereal!” (the monster’s whole face is in the
bowl). Breakfast continues with “Doughnuts!” and “Eggs!” and then a well-timed
narrative pause: what’s next? Turn the page: “Furniture!” From here, the creature’s
consumption includes both food (“Ice Cream!”) and not-food (“Jacket!”), all
shown in cartoony, super-high-energy illustrations, most of them neatly contained
in square or rectangular panels that add some comforting visual order to
the proceedings. The voracious creature eats its way through the letter n before:
“Ooooohhh . . . / POTTY!” A grown-up appears (“Queasy?”) and offers “Rice.
Saltines. Tea.” Feeling better after v (for “Vomit”), the creature is led to bed (and
refreshingly, here z stands for “Zonked,” not your typical zzzzzs). This being a Mo
Willems book, Knuffle Bunny, the Duckling, Gerald and Piggie, and the Pigeon
make cameo appearances. elissa gershowitz
Book Details
ISBN
9781368013529
First Release
April 2018
Genre
Fic
Dewey Classification
E
Trim Size
Page Count
32
Accelerated Reader
Level 0; Points: 0;
Scholastic Reading Counts
Level 0; Points: 0;
Lexile
Level
Format
Print Book
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Disney-Hyperion
Potentially Sensitive Areas
No sensitive areas
Topics
Monsters, Food habits, Alphabet, Humorous stories,
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