Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs


With all the wacky weather we've been having of late, this forecast doesn't seem as outlandish as it did when the first printing hit the stands in 1978... 

THREE PROS
*Talk about letting your imagination run wild -- the sheer insanity of Judi Barrett's idea is what has allowed it to continually entertain children for a generation  
*Her ex-husband illustrated it masterfully (no surprise, given that the President of the Society of Illustrators was his mentor)
*There's just no way your kid won't get a kick out of food-based precipitation

THREE CONS 
*I didn't hate the story-within-a-story component, but I don't see why it was necessary either 
*While the last day's in the town of Chewandswallow weren't scary in the traditional way, the manner in which they were drawn could freak out a child or two, I suppose 
*Badmouths some healthy morsels (broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc) to serve a purpose -- but by doing so reinforces the "I don't want to eat that" mentality associated with these dishes

ONE DAD'S OPINION
This book has been voted one of the top 100 of all time by the SLJ.  Until I saw it staring back at me today at the library, I had never read it, mainly because it sounded too corny.  How wrong I was!  Not my favorite, but still a tasty meatball.  Chew and swallow it whole.  
    

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