Lunch [Hardcover]

Denise Fleming (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

It's time for lunch, and one little mouse is famished! In fact, he's so hungry that once he starts eating, he can't stop. He sinks his teeth into a crisp white turnip, gobbles up some orange carrots, devours an ear of yellow corn, then tosses back some tender green peas. He's full, but this mouse keeps on munching until his bulging belly won't hold another bite.

Parents will see their own toddlers in this perky tale, and toddlers won't get enough of the gregarious little mouse. They'll proudly identify the colors of his (and their) favorite foods, and enjoy guessing what fruit or vegetable he'll eat next. Color-savvy readers are sure to spot the rainbow contained in the background pages-- and almost everyone will agree that this is one book about colors that makes the plain old primaries look positively pale!

An ALA Notable Book

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Soup's on in this tummy-tempting concept book. A very hungry mouse nibbles and crunches his way through the various components of a vegetarian repast, while the text introduces readers to the individual foods and their respective colors. The book's design also allows for some guessing games-each right hand page presents visual and textual clues about what comes next in the progression. The brief, adjective-rich prose lists Mouse's menu-sour purple grapes, juicy pink watermelon with black crunchy seeds-in a large boldface type that is a boon for group sharing (and often a confidence builder for newly independent readers). Mouse with his protruding stomach (much like Templeton the rat in Charlotte's Web) appears on the final page, covered with the feast's rainbow remnants, each smudge labeled to serve as a color/food recap. Fleming's pulp painting technique drenches each page with vibrant hues. A black-andwhite-checked tablecloth appears throughout, further punching up the color contrasts-shiny red apples stand out, even on a red background. Bon appetit! Ages 2-7.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A well designed, joyous romp through food and color."--School Library Journal, starred review

"Bon appétit."--Publishers Weekly

"A smorgasbord."--Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (September 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805016368
• ISBN-13: 978-0805016369
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Denise Fleming won a Caldecott Honor for In the Small, Small Pond. She is the author and illustrator of eighteen picture books, including Buster.

***INTERVIEW***
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Toledo,Ohio, where I live still. I am a midwestern girl.

Q: What is your earliest memory of writing/drawing?
A: It seems like I was always writing and drawing. I wanted to share my ideas from the beginning. A bit bossy am I.

Q: What inspired you to write/illustrate your first book?
A: I started collecting picture books in art school. I was crazy about the whole picture book format. I realized, as I was sharing books with my daughter, that making books is what I needed to do.

Q: What are your hobbies and interests besides reading and books?
A: I work in clay, create art from tin cans, and make art dolls. Right now I am working on combining all three media. I also dye and paint fabric for the dolls.
Planting flowers and painting the outside of my house and studio is what I am busy doing right now.

Q: What one or two words of advice would you give for young authors/illustrators?
A: Experiment with different styles and media.

*From Macmillan's Denise Fleming page.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting book about a hungry mouse., October 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lunch (Hardcover)

Designing handmade paper by drying multiple layers of boldly colored pulp shaped by hand-cut stencils allows Fleming to create an extravagant feast of appealing fruits and vegetables for one small gray mouse. Contrasting brilliantly colored fruits and vegetables with a black-and-white checked tablecloth, Fleming adds exhilaration to her illustrations. Large, black print (consistently placed on each page) forms short words making this storybook an ideal choice for a pre-reader. A hungry Mouse begins this story by crawling onto the checked tablecloth and jumping excitedly at the food he sees. Fleming allows the viewer to see only the top of one white vegetable. The text on this page reads, "he ate a crisp white--". The viewer is able to guess what Mouse is going to eat by using the two adjectives that Fleming gives and the part of the vegetable made visible on the page. Excited, the viewer turns the page and on the left discovers that the "crisp white" vegetable is an immense turnip. On the right, the text reads, "tasty orange--" and there is a hint of the next vegetable that Mouse sees. A distinct pattern and predictability entices the viewer to turn the page setting an appropriate pace and encouraging the left-to-right flow. Parents will be drawn in by the unique artistic work and appealing choice of food while at the same time, the bold pictures and guessing games will make this book a favorite among listeners and emergent readers.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a very hungry mouse, October 25, 2001

By 

D. Lowery (San Ramon, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lunch (Board book)

This is one hungry mouse--he eats everything in sight with abandon. By the end of the book, he's covered in all the remnants from what he eaten, leaving a very obvious trail to his home. This is a delightfully fun book to read, but I would recommend it for a 2-4 child; because each page leaves the reader "hanging" on what is the next item the mouse will eat, it is best for a child who can understand more complex concepts.

Again, Fleming has rendered a beautiful, if a bit abstract, visual feast for baby and parent alike. This is a fun book to add to one's library.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOW MUCH CAN A MOUSE EAT?, December 13, 2000

By 

"hurburgh" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lunch (Paperback)

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You will never see a cheekier mouse than the little fella starring in "Lunch". That bright pink nose going "SNIFF, SNIFF". Those gorgeous bucked teeth and that great long tail.

The big bold typeface of the words is matched by the bright and cheerful colors in the pictures.

The links between the pages is very cleverly done. You have to guess what is next on the menu. You only get to see part of the fruit or vegetables and a few descriptive adjectives, before you turn the page and get the answer. Then you see our little friend chomping his way through his feast.

He works his way through turnips, carrots, corn, peas, berries, grapes, apples and watermelon. The more he eats the bigger mess he makes. There are spills all over the table cloth and all over himself.

After all that food it's time for a nap. He leaves a technicolor trail of debris on the way back to his hole.

A little while later, that nose emerges from the hole again "SNIFF, SNIFF". It's dinnertime! A funny thing has happened. All the mess is cleaned up and no doubt the table has been restocked with goodies. Kids really love these circular stories.

The funniest part of the book is found on the very back page. Here we get a color-coded picture of our grey, furry friend with arrows identifying all the telltale food remnants that are stuck on him from his nose to his tail.

A fun book for everyone.

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