NO PEACOCKS
|
"Tired of the daily sunflower seeds they are fed from the staff at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Phil, Jim, and Harry decide they want to try something new, so they make a break for it in search of pizza or Chinese takeout. But everywhere they go, they're told "No peacocks!" With some stolen disguises and help from students, they devise a plan to sneak into a school cafeteria to try some mac and cheese! These silly peacocks are penned after the real celebrity birds of St. John's. A truly fun story. Includes a comprehensive curriculum guide."
— Reviewed by Darleen Wohlfeil, Story Monsters Ink.
|
"Maybe you know a Phil, a Jim or a Harry, but I bet you don't know any that are peacocks! After reading Robin Newman's new picture book, No Peacocks! with illustrations by Chris Ewald, you're probably going to want to meet this trio, perhaps even cook for them! I know I do. The personalities of these three particular peafowls shine through on every page of this humorous story based on the real life birds.
Tired of the same old, same old — sunflower seeds — the pals, who live in Manhattan on the grounds of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, head out to find some real food. Everywhere they venture they hear the dreaded two words from restaurant owners from whom they seek a decent meal, "No peacocks!" What's a bird to do? Before long their caretaker turns up to take them back home.
When overcome by wafts of tempting "gooey, creamy and delicious mac 'n cheese" emanating from the church school cafeteria, the persevering peacocks hatch a plan. But even that clever scheme to disguise themselves as students ends in humiliation and lands them in the doghouse so-to-speak. Kids will delight at their wild antics especially when shadowy arrangements are ultimately made on the q.t. to swap prized feathers for the long awaited cheesy food. Can the culprit deliver? Will the mac 'n cheese meet their expectations? Will sunflower seeds soon become history? That's a treat even I won't give away. What I will say is that Newman has found the right mix of silliness and entertaining storytelling to satisfy every young reader. "From the first moment I saw the dynamic feathered trio, I knew that I wanted to write a story about them," says Newman in the back matter. After reading No Peacocks! and feeling the obvious pleasure the plucky peacocks bring to all who know them, it was obvious to me that this story just shouted Robin's name.
Chris Ewald's art truly takes flight in this tale. His illustrations feature so many funny expressions and peacocky poses of our fab feathered friends. The spreads are richly colored in vibrant jewel tones, quite fitting for peafowls, and they're also full of movement as the story itself leaps forward. Together with Newman's prose, Ewald's art easily makes No Peacocks! a perfect story time pick. Also helpful is a page of Resources at the end for peacock enthusiasts and those interested in learning more about the uptown celebrity birds that inspired the book."
— Reviewed by Ronna Mandel, Good Reads With Ronna
|
"Three conniving peacocks with character and so much more. Robin Newman once again entertains readers with her masterful puns — this time bird puns — which will elicit some joyful giggles from children and encourage them to find more puns. The text is funny and the vocabulary rich.
Readers will cheer for these three proud and cocky friends as they plot to steal some of the school's mac 'n cheese. Phil, Jim and Harry are quirky, mischievous, and even devious in their pursuit of the cafeteria's famous specialty. It is a perfect read-aloud at home or in the classroom!
Chris Ewald's colorful and lively illustrations contribute to the fun-loving antics, hilarity and silliness of this dynamic threesome — Jim Phil and Harry."
— Reviewed by Patricia Tilton, Children's Books Heal
|
|
|