Everybody's Somebody's Lunch [Hardcover]

Cherie Mason (Author), Gustav Moore (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Many children indeed, many adults believe that there are "good" animals and "bad" animals. The Big Bad Wolf myth lives on. This new story puts predators in an entirely new light as a sensitive young girl, shocked and confused by the death of her cat, learns the roles that predator and prey play in the balance of nature. Gently and gradually, she comes to understand why some animals kill and eat other animals in order to live. It is one of nature's most exciting and important lessons. Children and all who read to them will come away with a new respect for all wildlife. In keeping with our commitment to diversity education, this story also shows an extended family rich in racial and cultural diversity.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-With messages such as every living creature must eat to survive, respect wildlife, and honor cultural diversity, the elements of a very politically correct book are here; unfortunately, the story is rudimentary. A girl finds that her cat has been eaten by a coyote in the woods. Her father attempts to explain about predators, and tells her to ask her teacher, who explains even more. Next, Granny, who is part Passamaquoddy, relates a tale of an Indian chief and his son who see an eagle eating a hare. The girl then rows out to an island to think, falls asleep, and has to make her way home in the dark. After her journey, she is wiser and more sensitive to the whole of nature. The text is full of poetic descriptions and scientific detail, echoed in the elaborate watercolor-and-line paintings. However, the book fails to draw the girl as a tangible character. The illustrations, which display expertise in depicting the animal and plant kingdoms, also fail the girl, who never looks quite the same in any of the drawings. The Big Bad Wolf will be glad to see his myth debunked, and children could learn something, but this book may gather dust on the shelves.-Angela J. Reynolds, West Slope Community Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...beautifully illustrated and elegantly written." -- Green Teacher

"...delightful and instructive children's book." -- Maine Audubon Perspectives

"Richly illustrated and nicely balanced...this book takes a straightforward view of the food chain." -- Science Books & Films

"This book is an important first step in teaching children that there are no 'bad' animals." -- John W. Grandy, Ph.D., The Humane Society of the United States

"lesson of why some animals eat other animals in order to live is one that encourages respect for all wildlife." -- Wildlife Conservation

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers; First Edition edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884481980
• ISBN-13: 978-0884481980
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,641,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An accessible book for kids about predators and prey, January 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Everybody's Somebody's Lunch (Hardcover)

Our family's Scottish terrier recently brought home a partially-eaten rabbit, and the kids freaked. It was hard to explain why he had killed the rabbit, and why it was OK for him to do so. EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S LUNCH was recommended by our local bookstore and it really helped my husband and me out...and the kids, and the dog! We're all predators, and we're all prey, and that's how it works. Mason's lively book gets that point across engagingly and positively, with factual accuracy in a non-saccharine but also non-gory way. Mason is a well-known conservationist and author of THE WILD FOX, which the kids also loved. I've never seen predator-prey relationships addressed in a children's book before. Thanks, Ms. Mason, for helping us out!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Writing that will stir your soul, July 28, 1999

By 

Pat Davidson Reef, ([e-mail]) (Falmouth Foreside, Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everybody's Somebody's Lunch (Hardcover)

This is a book that should be in every elementary school library and classroom. Opening children's eyes to new discoveries, and making children aware of life and death cycles in nature are key concepts of the book. The topic of predator vs. prey is approached from an original, creative, and non-threatening manner. The plot of the book involves a young girl coming to terms with the death of her cat, Mouser, whose collar she finds in a wooded area near her home.The layout and design of the book are outstanding. The amount of white space in the wide margins and also found around the print makes the book easy to read. The high quality of paper used for the book, allows the full page illustrations to reflect accurate color schemes selected by the artist at their best advantage. The illustrated book jacket and matching illustrated book cover in library binding makes the book both sturdy and an aesthetic delight. It is the kind of book that develops, in children, an awareness of beauty both in nature and in art. It also exposes children to a style of writing in prose that is poetic and clear.The quality of writing can be compared to the style of E.B.White, whose book, "Charlotte's Web" is a memorable classic. In fact, Everybody's Somebody's Lunch is a contemporary classic because it's plot is timeless, characters believable, theme universal, quality outstanding, and appeals to all generations; both young and old. I recommend it highly for all elementary school teachers without hesitation. Tilbury House Publishers in Gardiner, Maine should be congratulated for a wonderful publication.

5.0 out of 5 stars preying & praying, July 25, 2005

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Everybody's Somebody's Lunch (Paperback)

Rebeccasreads highly recommends EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S LUNCH as a way to tell your children about that good old thing we call the FOOD CHAIN.

In this day & age when most of us live in cities, & most of us have pets, I suppose we do have to teach our kids about how EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S LUNCH. Cherie Mason sets out on this delicate task beautifully assisted by Gustav Moore's immediate & captivating illustrations.

Very well done!