26. Bad Banana

26. Bad Banana. Michael Rex. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, beginning reader, early reader, humor]

First sentence: I'm a baaaaaaad banana! I didn't start out this way, you know. I used to be yellow! I had friends! I was part of the bunch! There was me, Lou, Debbie, and Cool Pete! We were BFFs! Banana Friends Forever. When that nice family took us home from the supermarket, we were living the dream!

Premise/plot: This early reader is narrated by a BAD banana. He's in despair since he's turning so bad. His hopes and dreams are fading hour by hour, day by day. Will he ever be eaten?????

My thoughts: This book is definitely decidedly odd. But is it funny? Yes, in a way. I think it ALL depends on how it's read aloud. In the hands of a good reader, a reader who can do voices, who can get characters just right, this one would easily entertain. It has great potential to appeal to young readers.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

13. Pasta! These Names Are Fun To Say

 

13. Pasta! These Names are Fun To Say. Felice Arena. Illustrated by Beatrice Cerocchi. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

First sentence: These pasta words are fun to say...
macaroni
rigatoni
cannelloni
Pasta! 

Is the book strictly necessary? Of course not! Is the book fun? Strongly leaning towards yes. What I can say with confidence is that THESE [pasta] NAMES ARE FUN TO SAY. So the book delivers on its promise.

The book is straightforward enough. It is a celebration of all things pasta--mostly. It views pasta as a way of life. (Almost). It's silly and exuberant.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I didn't love the illustrations though I did love the cover. 

It reminded me of one of my favorite Sesame Street songs/skits about tortellini.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

119-121. Early Readers Parade

119. Pizza for Pia (Ready to read level 1) Betsy Groban. Illustrated by Allison Steinfeld. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars] [early reader]

First sentence:  Pia loves to eat. "Mealtime is the best time," says Pia. 

Premise/plot: Pia loves to eat. Pia's family loves to eat. The problem? Pia's family all prefer pizza and they just know that Pia loves pizza too. In this early reader, Pia says she LOVES tacos--not pizza. The solution? Baking taco shells and using pizza ingredients???

My thoughts: It is an early reader. This one is full of p's. I liked it well enough. There is an actual story.

120. Nothing Fits a Dinosaur.  (ready to read level 1) Jonathan Fenske. 2021. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [early reader, bath time]

First sentence: "No more playtime," says my momma. "Take a bath. Put on pajamas. And please, tonight, no dino drama." 

Premise/plot: Will there be dino drama? YES. Of course. In this one a little boy and his dino alter ego get into a little trouble. Don't you know that NOTHING fits a dinosaur, so he'll just have to be FREE (without clothes). "These clothes shall feel my dino-might! Roar! I shed them with a mega roar!"

 My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. Not a big surprise since I am a fan of Jonathan Fenske. Perhaps a slight surprise since I don't really love dinosaurs. However, this one is ALL about imagination. This little boy is a hoot. However, as all hoots are, he is difficult to parent perhaps.

121. Nothing Scares a Dinosaur. (Ready to read level 1). Jonathan Fenske. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [early reader, bedtime, imagination] [4 stars]

First sentence: My bath is done. My books are read. I brush my teeth. I climb in bed. My momma comes to tuck me in. She pulls the covers to my chin. 

Premise/plot: Nothing Scares a Dinosaur is a sequel to Nothing Fits a Dinosaur. Though these were published years apart--2021 and 2024--I imagine them taking place the same night. (Though, of course, it could be the next night.) The book series stars a little boy who loves to pretend to be a dinosaur. In the first book, this DINOSAUR had trouble getting ready for bed because he still wanted to play, play, play. In this next book, he is finally in bed, but will he fall asleep easily? NOTHING SCARES A DINOSAUR except perhaps his momma when she's stern.

My thoughts: I really LOVE both books. I'm so on the fence if they should be a four star or a five star. Fenske's early readers are, in my opinion, so much better than all the rest. These are entertaining, relatable, fun stories. I love the rhythm and rhyme. (Not a big surprise since Fenske is a great writer). I love how both books end!

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers

158. Apple of My Pie

Apple of My Pie (Norma and Belly #2) Mika Song. 2021 [June] 128 page. [Source: Library]

First sentence: ...And the animals waited for morning.

Premise/plot: This second book in the series begins with Pops reading a story to Little Bee. Soon these two are off on an adventure...or misadventure as the case may be. Their desire for apples...well...it leads Pops into danger. It may be up to Little Bee (and Norma and Belly) to FIND and SAVE Pops before it's too late.

This adventure leads them on a field trip of sorts...to see how apples go from ORCHARDS to pies.

My thoughts: I didn't like this one as much as the first book. I still liked it. I think my favorite part was paying careful attention to the pie...

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

157. Donut Feed the Squirrels

Donut Feed the Squirrels (Norma and Belly #1) Mika Song. 2020. 112 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Belly! Wake up, I'm making pancakes!

Premise/plot: Donut Feed the Squirrel is the first in a new graphic novel series for young readers. It stars squirrels. Norma and Belly are introduced in this one! Good news: Norma is making pancakes!!! Bad news: Norma BURNS the pancakes. Good news: the squirrels SMELL something delicious--donuts! Bad news: It may be difficult for the squirrels to GET the donuts. In fact, it may take a genius plan....can Norma and Belly (with a little help) get their paws on donuts???

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It was fun. It was funny. I loved seeing the plan in motion. The bit with the ROLLER SKATES was just great fun. I think it's a promising start to a new series.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

148. Jazz for Lunch

Jazz for Lunch! Jarrett Dapier. Illustrated by Eugenia Mello. 2021. [September] 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Struttin' with Auntie Nina
down to a club,
We're gonna hear some music
and then eat some grub.

Premise/plot: Jazz for Lunch! celebrates jazz music, food, and family. Auntie Nina and her nephew have a special relationship. She shares her love for cooking and her love for JAZZ with her young nephew...teaching him both how to cook and how to appreciate jazz.

This book--entirely written in rhyme--starts with the two going to a jazz club. But it also has the two going to her place to cook a great meal (while listening to jazz).

Jazz for LUNCH!
The beats got SOUL!
Jazz for LUNCH!
Ham on a ROLL!
Jazz for LUNCH!
The tunes got swing!
Jazz for LUNCH!
Shout, dance, and sing!

(Jazz for lunch being the refrain carried throughout the picture book.)

My thoughts: This book celebrates so many things. Yet it never seems too busy. It feels natural--right. The end papers--if you pay close attention--can serve as an introduction to readers of all ages of some jazz legends.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

127. Pizza and Taco: Who's The Best?

Pizza and Taco: Who's The Best? (Pizza and Taco #1) Stephen Shashkan. 2020. [May] 72 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence:
Taco: Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!
Pizza: Whoa! Slow down, Taco.

Premise/plot: Pizza and Taco are starring in their first graphic novel, the first in a series. In this one, the two best friends argue about WHO is the best? This argument plays out through several chapters--including a trip to the water park where they compete side by side to PROVE who's really the best. Also making an appearance in this one is the duo Hamburger and Hotdog.

My thoughts: These two really are best friends; they even have a special dance and handshake. This first book is all about introducing the characters and embracing the silliness. 

There are three books available so far--a fourth coming in 2022. I read all three in one sitting. The first one was the weakest. But don't let that stop you from reading it with your little one. I think it's good for a few giggles. And perhaps the following books were better because I was already acquainted with the characters and the world. 

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

89. Delicious!

Delicious! Poems Celebrating Street Food Around the World. Julie Larios. Illustrated by Julie Paschikis. 2021. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence:

Syrian shawarma wrapped in a pita?
Biryani? Pork carnitas?
Maybe I'll get a hot falafel.
Schnitzel? Pretzel? Sesame noodles?
Cajun? Lebanese? Cuban? Thai?
So many choices! What should I try?

Premise/plot: Delicious! is a picture book poetry collection celebrating street food. It opens with "Carts in the Park," set in New York City. Each poem brings readers to another country, celebrates another culture, and introduces (perhaps) a new food. Each poem is complemented with a full page illustration. The illustrations are bright, bold, beautiful.

Countries visited include the United States, Mexico, Israel, Morocco, Australia, Russia, Peru, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Greece, Senegal, and China.

At the end of the book, the author shares "an international menu of sweets and treats" which provides readers with more information about each country (culture, food) celebrated within the book.

For example, to accompany the poem, "Winter Meal" (Russia), she shares:

Brrrr! Winters in Russia can get very cold, so food carts in Saint Petersburg usually sell hot drinks and savory pastries during the winter. But while winter days are short and dark, summer days are long: during the "white nights" of midsummer, the daylight in Saint Petersburg never totally disappears.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I think it's a treat of a book. I liked that the poems were short. It may seem like a little thing, but poems about serious subjects or abstract subjects can be intimidating. I like that the poems were about FOOD. Everyone can relate to food, to eating, to enjoying good company while eating. While not every reader may not want to eat a FRIED SCORPION (for example), this book has plenty of good conversation starters.

I liked the diversity. Each poem takes us to a different place, and places most likely out of our comfort zone.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

81. Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast

Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast and Other Tasty Poems. Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated by Ruth Chan. 2021. [January] 144 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Hard-boiled bugs for breakfast, hard-boiled bugs for lunch, hard-boiled bugs at suppertime, Crunchy! Crunchy! Crunch!

Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast is a new poetry book by Jack Prelutsky. Each poem--and there are over a hundred--is accompanied by an illustration. Most of the poems fall into the category of silly, nonsensical, fantastical, imaginative, ridiculous. A few are more heart-felt. Though this is a collection of 'tasty' poems, not all poems center around food and eating. There are plenty of just your ordinary old living life poems: you know, family life and relationships, school and homework, holidays. I especially liked the poems for some of the holidays.

I made a list of my favorite poems in this collection:

• My Lizard
• My Family's Last Picnic
• The Stir-Frying Pandas
• If I Had No Homework
• On the Last Day of December
• Ow!
• I Love To Sleep All Morning
• I'm Thankful for the Sunshine
• It's Mother's Day
• A Chicken on a Mountaintop

If you are a teacher looking to share select poems with your classroom, then this would be a good, solid resource. I liked the variety of poems--the topics and subjects, the narrative style, the length. I think this collection offers something for everyone.

A Chicken on a Mountaintop:

A chicken on a mountaintop
Was at a total loss.
She felt a need to cross a street--
There was no street to cross.
That chicken didn't fret too long
But simply used her head,
And sat and sat and sat and sat,
And laid an egg instead. (106)

Perhaps that one isn't my all time favorite from this collection, but it's fun and short. 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

59. Pancakes, Pancakes

 

Pancakes, Pancakes! Eric Carle. 1970. 36 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Kee-ke-ri-kee crowed the rooster. Jack woke up, looked out the window and thought, "I'd like to have a big pancake for breakfast."

Premise/plot: Jack wants a pancake--a BIG pancake. His mom tells him he'll have to help her if he wants a pancake. This help will include cutting wheat, taking it to the miller in town, having it ground into flour, gathering an egg from a hen, milking a cow, churning butter, and getting a jar of jam from the cellar. Some of these tasks take time--a good deal of time--and effort. Will Jack enjoy the pancakes more for all the work he invested in it?!

My thoughts: I like this one.  I do. I like the text more than the illustrations. The book is a very old-fashioned look at how we "get" our food. Flour, eggs, and milk don't come from the store. Pancakes don't come from a mix or restaurant.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

35. Snack Attack

Snack Attack. Terry Border. 2019. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture book; humor]

irst sentence: One afternoon, a cheese doodle, a pretzel stick, and a cookie all escaped from their packages, even though they had been warned about the outside world.

Premise/plot: Three friends fight to stay alive in Terry Border’s Snack Attack. Any minute now a monster will appear on the scene: a HUNGRY Monster who has his Monster-Mom’s blessing to eat...a snack before dinner. That puts our three friends (and presumably their families) in grave danger. Can they outsmart the system and break the cycle that is the food chain?!

My thoughts: This creative picture book shines when it comes to offering a new, unique, point of view. Plenty of books about snacking, sneaking snacks, etc. But relatively few solely from the perspective of the about to be eaten snack. How would a cookie, a chip, a pretzel view the world? What would it be like to be a snack? Largely this is answered through the illustrations. Yes, the text provides clues and moments of delight. But, the illustrations are what makes this one worth reading. They draw you in, in, in.

I could see teachers using this one in the classroom when talking about writing and storytelling, point of view, etc. I think this could inspire some kid-written spinoffs.

Text:3/5
Illustrations:5/5
Total:8/10



© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Pignic

Pignic. Matt Phelan. 2018. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It's a perfect day for a pignic.

Premise/plot: A family of pigs set out to have a picnic pignic. Will things go smoothly?

My thoughts: This one has super-simple text and a fun story. Little problems never become big ones, there's a solution for every problem. For example, there's no wind to fly the kites?! But no worries! The "big, bad" wolf is there to provide some huffing-puffing wind! Those kites will fly after all!   Sometimes the best things that happen are unplanned.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: Bow-Wow Orders Lunch

Board book: Bow-Wow Orders Lunch. Mark Newgarden. Illustrated by Megan Montague Cash. 2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Bread. Cheese. Bread. Cheese. Bread.

Premise/plot: Bow-Wow is getting ready to enjoy a sandwich. But what does he want on his sandwich? This board book doubles as a concept book teaching patterns. But it is also a very simple--yet funny--story.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It is 100% silly. It's a stretch to call it a concept book even. But even though there's not much to it--I couldn't help finding it charming. I don't know why I liked it so much. I just know that I do.




© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Happy Belly, Happy Smile

Happy Belly, Happy Smile. By Rachel Isadora. 2009. [September 2009] Harcourt. 32 pages.

Friday is my favorite day. On Fridays I have dinner with Grandpa Sam. He owns a restaurant in Chinatown.

Louie is a young boy that loves spending time with his grandpa! He loves to spend time in his grandpa's Chinese restaurant. And that restaurant, that culture, is celebrated in Rachel Isadora's Happy Belly, Happy Smile. (Also it's a celebration of family and friends.) Isadora's illustrations are as unique as usual, which I've come to expect in her works.

Louie's fortune is a good one:

Happy food, happy belly, happy smile.

A very good fortune indeed! Who wouldn't like it?!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Bring Me Some Apples And I'll Make You A Pie

Bring Me Some Apples And I'll Make You A Pie: A Story About Edna Lewis. Robbin Gowley. 2009. [January 2009]. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 48 pages.

Whippoorwill! calls the little gray bird. Whippoorwill! Whipporwill! The melody echoes through the quiet woods and wends its way down the hill to the just-waking farm. This is the sound Edna's been waiting for all winter long.

Who was Edna Lewis? She was a pioneering chef, teacher, mentor, and cookbook author. What Bring Me Some Apples And I'll Make You A Pie does is present a young child enthusiastic, passionate about food, about cooking, about family. It's a charming little picture book that presents an intimate look at Southern life. We get to "see" the seasons through small-but-eager eyes as various foods (fruits, vegetables) are planted, grown, harvested, and enjoyed by one and all. It's a celebration of love, of life, of family, and, yes, a celebration of food--natural food--too.

Edna plucks garden-warmed tomatoes from a vine heavy with fruit and places them in Mama's outstretched apron. "Southern dirt mixed with southern sun makes a right sassy tomato," Mama says. "My favorite lunch above all is a tangy tomato sandwich."

And...

Sugar baby watermelons ripen in the fields. As the sun sets, the family gathers round, and Daddy plugs the melons till he finds a perfect one.
"Melons are just like friends," Granny says. "Gotta try ten before you get a good one."
Everyone savors the crisp, cool, juicy slices. The children spit the seeds as far as they can.
Daddy says, "Save some of those seeds to plant for new melons."
Between slurps, Edna says, "Save the rinds! We'll make watermelon pickle."

Can't you almost taste the food? Aren't the descriptions just right? Not many picture books make me hungry, but this one sure does! Good thing it includes some recipes: strawberry shortcake, corn pudding, apple crisp, pecan drops, and nut-butter squares.

You can find out more about Edna Lewis by watching this twenty minute documentary, Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie.

Here is an interview with her:



© Becky Laney of Young Readers