Review by Booklist Review
Oskar's parents offer plenty of tasty and nutritious options for dinner, but the only thing he wants to eat is, well, his brother. This oddball premise sets the tone for a darkly silly story that blends absurdity with familiar dinnertime struggles. Parts of this French import may give pause to some American readers, from the idea of eating a sibling to a casual offer from the parents to their young bunny of "fish swimming in beer," rendered as a foaming amber pint glass containing some kind of carp. The humor works best when it embraces the surreal: a sausage becomes a snowboard, a head of lettuce turns into a mountain, and a seafood salad parades through the kitchen. These unexpected twists and visual gags bring a burst of imaginative energy to the table, while the graphite and watercolor pencil illustrations add a warm, classic feel, grounding the chaos in cozy family life. A quirky choice for story times about food, picky eaters, or mealtime drama that will delight children with its taste for the strange and silly.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sibling dynamics are served up with just the right amount of bite in a translation that stars Oskar, a little rabbit sporting red spectacles who believes eating to be "a pure waste of time." Refusing everything his parents offer, from chicken skewers and peanut stew to "pickled bird brains that can fly," Oskar reveals that he's holding out for the right dish: the little brother he deems annoying. "I want to chomp his derrière, then gnaw his little knees," Gaudy writes, getting right to the meat of it: "I'll take his head in both my hands and chew up his fat cheeks!" But Oskar is no fratricidal Hannibal Lecter--just a jealous older sibling who realizes that with his brother gone, he'd neither be awakened by cries each night nor have to share the duos' parents. Finding another use for the sibling, glimmers of companionship emerge--though whether Oskar is just postponing a brotherly brunching is open to interpretation. Rea (Nasla's Dream) works magic with graphite and colored watercolor pencil sketches, marrying a stylish domestic realism with flights of foodie fancy. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A picky young rabbit thinks a nibble of his troublesome little brother might hit the spot. Oskar, a youthful hare distinctively clad in stylish red glasses, isn't interested in the delicacies his parents offer. In fact, he "can't stand them and doesn't regret it." As he refuses supper, his parents' suggestions become more outrageous. While some readers will relish the absurdity of "orangutan steak" or "three fat worms in garlic butter," others might find them distinctly unpalatable. Then--surprise! This isn't a picky-eating book after all; it's a sibling-rivalry tale, because what Oskar really wants to nosh on is his baby brother's "fat cheeks." If his "yelly" brother were gone, Oskar would have quiet nights and his parents to himself again…plus, that baby is probably "full of vitamins." Spoiler: No little ones get munched here. After Oskar sneaks his unwanted food into his brother's waiting mouth, he realizes that it's handy to have a sibling around. Translated from French, Gaudy's rhymes are sometimes tight and boisterous, but they sag in places, making the tale challenging to read aloud cohesively. Rea's delicate graphite and watercolor pencil illustrations on warm-toned backgrounds are sleekly stylish. Oskar's face is expressive (who knew bunnies could look so predatory?), and the family's home is très chic. Scrumptious endpapers featuring the brother bunny transforming into various foodstuffs are a visual treat. Sure to entice youngsters with a taste for the unconventional.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
