I became excited when I saw the cover of Carnivores. I had not heard of this yet to be released picture book. Page after page I laughed until my stomach hurt. Seriously, this is one of the funniest picture books I have ever read. The top of the food chain is upset because those at the lower leve... more

I became excited when I saw the cover of Carnivores. I had not heard of this yet to be released picture book. Page after page I laughed until my stomach hurt. Seriously, this is one of the funniest picture books I have ever read. The top of the food chain is upset because those at the lower levels do not want to be around them or be friends. Would you? Oh, no way, but they are alive and have feelings, so I suppose they need acceptance. If my reaction is any indication, and I am not saying it is, but if it is, kids are going to absolutely love this book. Each page is filled edge-to-edge with crisp, snappy illustrations. There is not a page with white on it, unless put there by the illustrator. Mr. Santat has created a wonderful pictorial story that matches Mr. Reynolds story. Whoever put these two artists together knew what they were doing. The pages in this slightly large picture book (40 pages instead of usual 32), are nice and thick to withstand all the turning that will occur. The humor is out of this world, especially the twist at the end. I still smile and giggle when I think of the ending and the plot twist I had not seen coming. The beginning, when each animal moans about his or her horrible state of rejection, I laughed. When they came together in a meeting—think Carnivores Anonymous—I about fell over. What an idea. The goofiness never stops. The owl comes to give advice and they respectfully listen, take his advice to heart and . . . then . . . eat him! If you are looking for a picture book to teach your child the food pyramid, Carnivores is not your book. If you are looking for a book to learn about the food chain, nah, not really going to help. Looking for a story that is fun, hilarious, and has wonderful illustrations, Carnivores is a good choice. If you want to have a hilariously riotous time with your child, Carnivores is the choice! It is a “can’t lose” picture book for those wanting a good time with their child, though I do not recommend this as a bedtime story. Your child, and you, will find it hard to stop laughing and fall asleep. However, Carnivores does have a message: be yourself and love who you are. I love Carnivores. A Top 10 Book for 2013. Originally published on Kid Lit Reviews http://kid-lit-reviews.com Use the search box on the far right side bar on the Home page to find this and other great books.