Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Nearly 20 years after the publication of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs comes this droll sequel starring Kate and her brother Henry. This time, a postcard from their grandfather's peculiar vacation spot sparks Kate's dream about the oddly familiar town of Chewandswallow. Unusual weather patterns still bring showers of super-sized food to the island ("we can see dinner approaching from the west. Spaghetti and meatballs I think!"), but the citizens who fled in the first book have returned to create the Falling Food Company ("Large Food for Large and Small Countries, Free"). Ron Barrett's witty cross-hatched pen-and-ink illustrations have a quirky retro flavor (enhanced by Judi Barrett's tonal colorings); he joins in the fun with such visual puns as the marquee on the local movie theater (featuring Breakfast at Tiffany's and Babette's Feast). If the story's social consciousness seems a bit contrived ("Even with poverty and drought there's always food for everyone!"), the sheer zaniness of the concept (e.g., fried egg lilypads, birds in nests of shredded wheat, an airstrip made of bacon) makes this exuberant tall tale as much of a delight as the original. The dream-like quality ties this sequel neatly to the first book, while the broad hints that Grandpa (just in from his trip, toting colossal chocolate chip cookies as souvenirs) knows a thing or two about Chewandswallow add a delicious whiff of mystery. This return visit is a feast for the eyes and ears. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) FYI: Food drive event kits are available from the publisher. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2After a hiatus of almost 20 years, the Barretts take readers back to the town of Chewandswallow. The townspeople who fled when the delectable weather got out of control have returned for an industrious clean-up operation. They take the bountiful harvest and transport it to all parts of the worldEggplants to Ecuador, Chili to Chile, Pickles to Pittsburghending poverty and drought worldwide. Food is omnipresent: a giant roasted turkey sits atop Kathy's Gift Shop while syrup flows down the main street past a cinema where Bread & Chocolate and Breakfast at Tiffany's are playing. Ron Barrett's cleverly detailed illustrations remain true to his work in the original title; layout and design also remain faithful and make this sequel equally appealing. As Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Atheneum, 1978) has likely remained a staple in most libraries, the lapse between the two books should make little difference. This tribute to a land of milk and honey will stimulate children's imaginationsnot to mention their taste buds.Christy Norris, Valley Cottage Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
While 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' plunged straight into a tomato tornado, its similar-looking sequel deals with the much less suspenseful aftermath. Plank-size French fries, towering cake slices, and other debris left from the freak food storms that hit Chewandswallow some time back are now being used to feed the world. It's a nice gesture, but it doesn't have the amazement value of the original premise. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From the creators of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (1978) comes another bizarre food tale. Kate and Henry receive a postcard from their vacationing Grandpa, and the card prompts a wild dream for Kate: She and her brother fly to the land of Chewandswallow, where colossal foodstuffs rain down from the sky, and where the citizens, accustomed to the bounty, ship food to wherever there is a need for it. When Kate wakes up, it is the day that Grandpa returns home, bearing giant chocolate chip cookies, just like the ones in . . . The tale is amiable, and the line drawings captivating, but the message of generosity is laid on as thick as the peanut butter in one of Chewandswallow's gigantic sandwiches. It takes over the story, leaving it without any momentum of its own. (Picture book. 4-8)
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