Review by Booklist Review
Imagination and love of food collide at the dinner table in this debut graphic novel for early readers. An unnamed Latino protagonist daydreams about jungle animals before rushing downstairs for a family dinner. While he eats everything, his family members are far more particular, with tastes as different as the animals in the jungle. The short sequence features full-page, brightly colored illustrations depicting a warm scene around the dinner table and quirky panels portraying the protagonist's imagination playfully transforming his family members into animals enjoying their favorite foods: Papa, who loves meat, becomes a lion, while Uncle Carlos, a fan of shrimp, becomes a bright pink flamingo. Short sentences, large panels, and sounds of eating drawn big and bold make this early comic perfect for young ones just starting to read independently or those starting to transition from picture books to comics.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--The sound of the doorbell has a young boy hurrying downstairs to greet his family as they arrive for dinner. Readers see the various dishes that are carried in and placed on the table. During the meal, the young protagonist imagines each of his relatives as a different animal based on their favorite foods. Aunt Gloria reminds him of a giraffe because she loves salad, while his papa enjoys meat and resembles a lion. Colorful illustrations capture his Uncle Carlos, visualized as a flamingo nibbling on shrimp, and his cousins as mischievous rabbits who manage to flip a plantain across the table to hit him on the head. The boy narrates the story with comments such as, "Me? I love all food!" or "Everyone loves dessert." Other than the initial greetings as the family enters the house, speech bubbles are used for onomatopoeic accompaniments to the meal: snap, crunch, munch, and so on. The limited word count along with the humorous scenes in the boy's imagination welcome even reluctant readers into the story. VERDICT Blending easy reader and early graphic novel formats, this enjoyable story captures the fun of family meals and invites readers to chime in with a "Nom. Nom. Nommm."--Suzanne Costner
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