A Few Bites
The sibling rivalry and teasing fun in this playful picture book will grab young children, especially because the younger one turns the tables. After Ferdie refuses to eat the veggies his older sister, Viola, has cooked for him, she tells him elaborate fantasies about how broccoli helped dinosaurs escape the fiercest predators, the carrots helped creatures see beyond the solar system, and so on. Paper collages show Viola’s wild fantasies, which contrast with small, spare ink-and-watercolor drawings, set against lots of white space, that show the children’s realistic body language—Ferdie sulking and overwhelmed––until the triumphant climax, when Ferdie creates a luscious surprise that draws Viola in, and their play begins again. In this fresh take on a familiar family scenario, the fantasies are as much fun as the standoffs. Preschool-Grade 2. --Hazel Rochman