Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe [Hardcover]

J. Otto Seibold (Author), Vivian Walsh (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

After borrowing a canoe from a large elephant, Mr. Lunch, the professional canine bird chaser, sets off on an exciting adventure into a strange city in which all the roads are canals, all the cars are boats, and all the pigeons have settled in one place.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seibold and Walsh's (Mr. Lunch Takes a Plane Ride) eccentric canine hero and bird-chaser extraordinaire is on the move again, this time in a canoe on loan from an elephant. His first night out he is frightened by a bear, and, paddling as fast as he can, as far as he can, he eventually reaches a city where all the streets are waterways. There he finds the bird-chasing opportunity of his career: after he empties what is clearly St. Mark's Square of its ubiquitous pigeons, he is awarded the Golden Outboard Motor as a gift of gratitude, and with it makes his way speedily home. This adventure, Mr. Lunch's second, is somewhat less manic than his first outing, but it's all relative-plenty of off-the-wall humor fills both the deadpan text (in the authors' unnamed Venice, "nobody noticed a dog in a boat, because everyone was in a boat") and the zany, one-of-a-kind computer-generated art, which packs an astonishing degree of action, expression and detail onto each page. Campy yet childlike, sophisticated yet frankly silly, the Mr. Lunch books exert a quirky charm that is hard to define and even harder to resist. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Mr. Lunch, a professional canine bird-chaser, borrows an elephant's canoe and paddles all the way to Venice, where he finds a pigeon-packed plaza to clear. Although each page of this off-the-wall story is filled with action and detail, Seibold's computer-generated cartoons are extremely stylized and one-dimensional, making it occasionally difficult to recognize simple animals (even Mr. Lunch himself) and objects (water as opposed to land). Furthermore, although the artwork is done in full color, the mustard-and-red color scheme has the appearance of old-fashioned, two-color printing. Fortunately, there are redeeming serendipitous qualities here. The two-page constellation spread depicting the dog paddling over the world to Venice and the renovated, gondola-inspired canoe that he returns to his elephant friend are especially delightful.
Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent School District, TX
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; First edition edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670856614
• ISBN-13: 978-0670856619
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #689,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for the WHOLE family!, February 2, 2000

By 

Sarah M. Pikcilingis (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

I picked this book up-not knowing a thing about it- simply because it was on sale. Lucky thing! The wonderfully zainy drawings and colors compliment the authors' silly and fresh writing. Every time I re-read "Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe" I find new details in the drawings that bring the story more and more to life. This book, and all the others by the same team, have a Sophisticated Ridiculousness that makes them Fabulous for kids, teens, adults, and family pets alike!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mr. lunch and fantasy, June 26, 2001

By 

Hobbes in Dobbs (Dobbs Ferry, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

i find the mr. lunch books very inventive and humorous. my 4 year old son loves them. i first bought "mr. lunch takes a plane ride," prior to our family flying to california (from new york). it was a perfect primer to the ride. the canoe story is even funnier than the plane story. of course it is absurd and tongue and cheek, but kids don't know that, so it feeds into the invention of fantasy that kids at this age should foster. the drawings are hip as well...very modern...highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice early effort from Seibold and Walsh, January 6, 2003

By 

"purplo" (Santa Cruz, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

Having recently discovered the wonderful works of J.otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh I went ahead and bought this title, one of their earlier works. Neither the art nor the writing are as fully developed as their later works, such as the exquisite Gluey, but all of the trademark elements are in place. J.otto's art is still irrestibly charming and full of humorous details to find and enjoy. Walsh's writing is simple enough for youngsters to understand, but subtly includes whimsy and benevolence in her typically unforced manner. All ages will enjoy the dog Mr. Lunch's downstream journey to Venice.