A Crazy Day at the Critter Café
It’s a quiet morning at the Critter Café—until five raccoons walk through the door, followed by an elephant band, Skateboard Cow, and a rush of critters. Their bus has broken down and they’re all starving, but their rude demands for food, complaints when it arrives, and food-fight behavior push the frazzled waiter over the top. “This café is NOT a zoo. Pay your bill, then out the door. And don’t come back here anymore.” With shoulders sagging and tails dragging, the animals shuffle away—except the skateboarding cow, who missed the bus. The restaurant staff flees and the next thing you know, the joint has a new name: Cow’s Café. The rhymed text emphasizes the zany sound effects as the mixed-media illustrations comically exaggerate the scenes. Kids will giggle over the heightened food mess the animals leave behind. Grades K-2. --Julie Cummins