From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2–This rollicking British import takes the format of The Gingerbread Boy and turns it into a cautionary tale. Young Benny has never met a burger he didn't like; in fact, he will eat nothing else. After a steady diet of beef patties on a bun, he becomes one and finds himself being chased across the countryside by a pack of dogs, a herd of cows, and a group of hungry boys. He is finally saved from being a sideshow attraction at a burger franchise by his wise mother, who plies him with fruits and vegetables. The story is saved from a didactic and predictable ending by the warning that Benny should take care not to eat just vegetables, lest he finds himself transformed again. The simple lines and lively colors of the acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations add to the kid appeal. A fun addition to any library collection,
Burger Boy perfectly suits a picky-eater-themed storytime that includes Russell Hoban's
Bread and Jam for Frances (HarperCollins, 1964) or Mary Ann Hoberman's
The Seven Silly Eaters (Harcourt, 1997).
–Rita Hunt Smith, Hershey Public Library, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Burgers are the only thing Benny will eat. His mom warns him, "If you don't watch out, you'll turn into a burger!" One day he does. Dogs hound him, cows threaten him, and hungry kids chase him--despite his insistence that he is really a boy. When the owner of Bigga Burger picks him up in his van, Benny thinks he is safe--until he is put on display as a "giant, talking burger." Then it's Mom to the rescue; she takes him home and feeds him veggies, which, it turns out, Benny loves. Cartoonlike collage illustrations are the perfect compliment for this cautionary tale; the spread of Benny morphing into a cheeseburger is especially comical. Enticed by the title and cover, kids will giggle over the familiar admonition. They'll certainly have no beef with the spoof; whether they'll be converted to vegetarians is another matter.
Julie CumminsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
