Synopses & Reviews
When he follows his nose through the woods, Cub discovers a backyard tea partyand#133;with cookies!and#160; He is just about to dig in when the hostess of the tea party shows up. And she has several strong opinions on how Tea Party
must be played. Cub tries to follow her rules . . . but just how much can one bear take, even for cookies?
A laugh-out-loud funny look at the required give-and-take of playtime, Tea Party Rules is an eventual friendship story that will delight grubby cubs, fancy girls, and cookie lovers everywhere.
Review
Young Spoon lives a fairly happy life with a large extended family (including a ladle and a very fancy Aunt Silver), but he can't help being a bit jealous of some of his friends. Knife, for example, "is so lucky! He gets to cut, he gets to spread." Not to mention Chopsticks: "Everyone thinks they're really cool and exotic! No one thinks I'm cool or exotic." Spoon's mother doesn't try to change his mind, but reacts neutrally. Outside conversations let readers know that Spoon is being envied right back: "Spoon is so lucky!" sigh the Chopsticks. "We could never function apart." At bedtime, Spoon's mom offers encouragement ("Your friends will never know the joy of diving headfirst into a bowl of ice cream") then invites him into the big bed-to spoon, of course. The talented Magoon (Mystery Ride!) gives the utensils plenty of personality, with wide eyes and expressive antlike appendages, and Rosenthal's (Little Pea) skillful storytelling moves along briskly. The humorous but earnest message about valuing one's own talents comes through loud and clear.--PW
Review
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Review
Spoon is a spoon who is feeling down because his life is not as exciting as those of his friends Knife, Fork, and Chopsticks. He covets their thrilling jobs and unique styles ("And Chopsticks! They are so lucky! Everyone thinks they're really cool and exotic."). As it turns out, the other culinary implements think Spoon is the one who has it made-who else gets to bang on pots, dive into a bowl of ice cream, or relax in hot cup of tea? Invigorated by these reassurances, Spoon can't sleep and so hops into bed with his parents and, you guessed it, spoons. The details included in Magoon's artwork are laugh-out-loud funny: in the Spoon family photo, black-sheep Spork can be seen looking woeful off to the side; there is a cute gag about a dish who ran away with a spoon; and the depiction of the Chopsticks as a couple of deadly serious ballroom dancers prancing around a plate of sushi is indelible. Rosenthal's creation is adorable and funny and will be embraced by both children and parents.--Booklist
Review
This witty tale evokes a strong sense of family with an underlying message of self-acceptance. Young Spoon is one of a large clan that ranges from measuring spoons to ladles, from refined Aunt Silver to elaborate commemorative spoons to a spork who stands uncertainly to one side. Spoon, with his head on a sugar-packet pillow, enjoys a bedtime story "about his adventurous great-grandmother, who fell in love with a dish and ran off to a distant land." Feeling "blue" (he's perched on a bowl of blueberries), he suffers an identity crisis. Perhaps he'd rather be Knife, who gets to cut and spread, or Fork, who gets to twirl spaghetti, or the "cool and exotic" Chopsticks? But the others envy Spoon as well, for the special things that only a spoon can do, such as measure and relax in a hot cup of tea. Rosenthal takes the daffy concept and runs with it, gracefully folding her lesson into the whimsy. Magoon's expressive line drawings reveal the feelings of the various utensils with wonderful humor and pleasingly muted colors. Hurrah for Spoon!--Kirkus
Review
* "Strong storytelling, pacing, emotive illustrations that match the deceptive plot and an exuberant sense of fun make this little gem a winner."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Review
* "Dyckmanand#8217;s (Boy and Bot) and Campbelland#8217;s (Flora and Ulysses) story is like a pretty petit four with an unexpectedly zingy filling."--Publishers Weekly, starred review
Synopsis
Meet Spoon.
He's always been a happy little utensil. But lately, he feels like life as a spoon just isn't cutting it. He thinks Fork, Knife, and The Chopsticks all have it so much better than him. But do they? And what do they think about Spoon? A book for all ages, Spoon serves as a gentle reminder to celebrate what makes us each special.
Synopsis
The first entry in a trio of favorite "punny"tales about spoons from beloved bestselling and award-winning author Amy Krouse Rosenthal Meet Spoon.
He's always been a happy little utensil. But lately, he feels like life as a spoon just isn't cutting it. He thinks Fork, Knife, and The Chopsticks all have it so much better than him. But do they? And what do they think about Spoon? A book for all ages, Spoon serves as a gentle reminder to celebrate what makes us each special.
Don't miss these other titles in the Spoon series: Chopsticks and Straw
About the Author
Amy Krouse Rosenthal is the author of picture book favorites such as
Little Pea. Little Hoot, Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, and
The OK Book. She has also written several books for adults including
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. She lives with her family in Chicago.
Scott Magoon is the author and illustrator of Hugo and Miles in I've Painted Everything. He also illustrated The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating by A. W. Flaherty and Ugly Fish by Kara Lareau. He lives outside of Boston with his wife and children.