Creepy Carrots! [Hardcover]

Aaron Reynolds (Author), Peter Brown (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 21, 2012 | Age Range: 4 and up | Lexile Measure: 410L (What's this?)

In this Caldecott Honor–winning picture book, The Twilight Zone comes to the carrot patch as a rabbit fears his favorite treats are out to get him.

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—especially Crackenhopper Field carrots.

He eats them on the way to school.

He eats them going to Little League.

He eats them walking home.

Until the day the carrots start following him...or are they?

     Celebrated artist Peter Brown’s stylish illustrations pair perfectly with Aaron Reynold’s text in this hilarious picture book that shows it’s all fun and games…until you get too greedy.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sketches from Creepy Carrots

I drew many rabbits as I worked out the design for Jasper Rabbit.

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I drew many carrots as I worked out the design of the Creepy Carrots.

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I used pencil sketches and my computer to create rough, moody sketches for each illustration. Early on, I thought using a black border around the art would add to the moodiness.

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Then I made clean, final sketches using just my computer.

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For the final art, I created tight drawings with pencil on paper, and scanned them into my computer where I added the finishing touches.

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Review

"Brown’s panels–bordered in black, drawn in pencil, and digitally composed and colored–cleverly combine the mood of film noir with the low-tech look of early children’s television staging for an aesthetic that is atmospheric, but not overwhelming.... Panels in varying sizes and multiple perspectives keep pace with Reynolds’s tongue-in-cheek narrative.... This age-appropriate horror story takes children’s fears seriously and then offers them an escape through genuine comic relief."--School Library Journal

* "Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories."--Kirkus Reviews in a STARRED review

* "A spot-on parody of a paranoid thriller...."--Publishers Weekly in a starred review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (August 21, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442402970
• ISBN-13: 978-1442402973
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Rabbits

More About the Author

Peter Brown writes and illustrates books for young whippersnappers. He grew up in Hopewell, New Jersey, where he spent his time imagining and drawing silly characters. He studied Life Lessons at the School of Hard Knocks, and then got his B.F.A. in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

After college Peter moved to Brooklyn, New York and spent several years painting backgrounds for animated TV shows. And then in 2003 he got a book deal to write and illustrate his first picture book FLIGHT OF THE DODO, which is a story that involves bird poop...in case you're into that kind of thing. Since then he's written and illustrated three more picture books, and illustrated several other books for young whippersnappers. His books have been adapted into plays and animated short films, they have been translated into a dozen languages, and they include the 2010 E.B. White award winner, Children's Choice Award winner, and New York Times bestselling books THE CURIOUS GARDEN.

His books CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS, YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! and his latest book, CREEPY CARROTS! are also New York Times bestsellers and award winners. CREEPY CARROTS! written by Aaron Reynolds has also been named a 2013 Caldecott Honor book.

You can find out more about Peter and his books at peterbrownstudio.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly Scary August 21, 2012

By Valerie A. Baute

Format:Hardcover

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots. He likes to pull them from Crackenhopper Field and snack on them often throughout the day. Then, one day, Jasper gets the feeling that the carrots are following him. Will anyone believe him? What will he do to keep the evil carrots away?

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. No, that's not completely true. Knowing who the illustrator was and seeing the adorable illustration on the cover, I had high hopes. I wasn't disappointed at all. The story was just as awesome as the illustrations. The ending made me chuckle while still teaching kids a lesson. Greed isn't good. Jasper was greedy, and the carrots came after him. Don't worry parents, they didn't attack him or anything scary. The ending was actually really funny.

Speaking of scary, I thought this book seemed scary for a picture book. At first, that made me wonder if it was really worthy of 5 stars. My first thought when reviewing books is to see if I can read it aloud in storytime. Books that don't seem even slightly scary to me have scared small children. I could see children who are easily frightened absolutely hating this book. The thing is, the illustrations on the cover and the fact that the word "creepy" is in the title makes it pretty obvious that the book is scary. I will not be reading it in storytime for any children under the age of 6, but that doesn't mean it is a bad story. Any child who likes scary stories, or at least isn't afraid of them, will love this book. If I had a child who was easily scared, I would be able to tell that this book isn't for him.

The illustrations fit the tone of this book perfectly. I love the way each page has just a touch of orange, either as the carrots or as the objects that Jasper might have thought WERE the carrots. It helps paint the story and keep the kids (and adults) guessing to see if Jasper really IS seeing carrots or just imagining them. Overall, this picture book is definitely a winner.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy Carrots Are a Tasty Treat August 21, 2012

By Jasonb

Format:Hardcover

What is the scariest vegetable of all time? Broccoli? Rutabaga? Black olives, perhaps? Kids have been debating this question for centuries. If you asked Jasper Rabbit, however, he would tell you that you're barking up the wrong produce aisle. Everyone knows that the scariest vegetable of all time is any vegetable that follows you home.

At least everyone knows this who has read Creepy Carrots!, a brilliant new picture book by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown.

Creepy Carrots! chronicles the harrowing journey of Jasper Rabbit, a young bunny whose greed for carrots proves to be his own undoing. Jasper loves carrots. He can't get enough of them, especially the ones from Crackenhopper field. But one day, as Jasper is about to help himself to another snack, he hears it - "The soft . . . sinister . . . tunktunktunk of carrots creeping."

From there it goes from bad to worse. Paranoid Jasper sees the creeping carrots everywhere: in his bathtub, in the garden shed and even in his bedroom at night. Or does he? Every time a grown up enters the picture it seems that Jasper is just suffering from an overactive imagination. There's nothing to be worried about or so it seems.

Is Jasper crazy or are the vegetables really out to get him? That is the sheer joy of reading Creepy Carrots! It keeps you guessing until the very satisfying end.

Reynolds' tight text coupled with Brown's ominous black and white (and orange) drawings strike the perfect almost spooky tone for 4-8 year olds. It's sure to entertain any kids who love a little moody mystery in their picture books.

Brown's illustrations of the carrots are certainly creepy, but probably not genuinely scary except to the most sensitive of younger kids. The exaggerated camera angles and shadowy drawings contrast nicely with the soft, cuddly images of Jasper, creating what feels like a tongue-in-cheek Twilight Zone for kids.

Speaking of which, fans of this book will also want to check out Peter Brown's Vimeo video, the Creepy Carrots Zone, which chronicles the old movies and TV shows Brown watched to nail the right look for Jasper's tale.

Guess what, Peter? It worked. Not only is this book a blast, but it would make a great read for parents who want an entertaining excuse to talk about their child's fears, greed or even the impact we have on the environment.

But for those who are simply looking for a playful story with cool visuals, Creepy Carrots! does not disappoint.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and delightful! August 23, 2012

By LHK

Format:Hardcover

The other reviews are already so well detailed that I'll keep mine short and sweet. I absolutely love this book. I've read complaints that it's not scary enough - um, hello, it's a PICTURE BOOK FOR CHILDREN! It's definitely a little creepy but those elements are also conveyed in more or less intensity by the person reading the book. I read it to my 4 and 6 year old nephews and they loved it. I probably could have made it more creepy for the 6 yr old but they both thought it was funny. The story itself is clever and unexpected and the illustrations are gorgeous - a real departure from the traditional picture book color palette. Peter Brown did a great trailer explaining his process and inspiration if that kind of thing interests you. Enjoy!