Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli [Hardcover]

Barbara Jean Hicks (Author), Sue Hendra (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

What do monsters eat?

The waitress in this restaurant just doesn’t have a clue.
Monsters don’t eat broccoli!
How could she think we do?

In this rollicking picture book written by Barbara Jean Hicks and illustrated by Sue Hendra, monsters insist they don’t like broccoli. They’d rather snack on tractors or a rocket ship or two, or tender trailer tidbits, or a wheely, steely stew. But boy do those trees they’re munching on look an awful lot like broccoli. Maybe vegetables aren’t so bad after all!

This hilarious book will have youngsters laughing out loud and craving healthy monster snacks of their own.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K—Grown-ups know that kids generally don't like eating broccoli. Apparently, neither do monsters. Sure, they like tractors, rocket ships, and boulders. Only don't give them artichokes, lima beans, or anything green. When the "monsters" eat giant maple trees, though, they discover they have been fooled into eating the dreaded broccoli. The next spread reveals that the monsters are children who have fallen for that age-old adult trick of calling broccoli "trees." Not only that, but they also discover that "trees" are so delicious, they beg for "Another helping, please." For the most part, the rhyming text flows nicely when read aloud but it stumbles when the monsters repeatedly shout, "Fum,/foe,/fie,/fee,/monsters don't eat broccoli." The gouache illustrations are bright and textured; they pop off the page. However, the monsters and the backgrounds are done in similar hues so that the creatures sometimes blend into the scenery. Among a crowded field, this title doesn't stand out. Recommend Mitchell Sharmat's Gregory, the Terrible Eater (Scholastic, 1984) or Kenneth Oppel's The King's Taster (HarperCollins, 2009) instead.—Laura Lutz, formerly at Queens Borough Public Library, NY
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About the Author

Barbara Jean Hicks is the author of The Secret Life of Walter Kitty and Jitterbug Jam. She lives in Oxnard, California.

Sue Hendra is the illustrator of more than seventy children’s books. She lives in Brighton, England.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375856862
• ISBN-13: 978-0375856860
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.4 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump. It is not as wide as you think." --Native American Proverb

Children's book author, speaker and teacher BARBARA JEAN HICKS claims that everything she knows about writing, she learned from her favorite cat. Miguel had a nose for adventure, she says, leaping into the unknown like an old-world explorer, learning along the way. And he had the scars to prove it.

A writer, too, is a curious creature, Barbara says, always sniffing about for new ideas. Observing, reading, eavesdropping. Haunting favorite places and exploring new ones. Paying attention.

"For me," says Barbara, "starting a story is an adventure, a leap into the unknown. I might begin with a curious bit of dialogue, a vivid description, a word or phrase that tickles my funny bone. Before I have any real idea where I'm going, I'm on my way. I let the writing take me where it wants to. It's only after I've plunged into a project that I begin to find out what it's really about. The act of writing teaches me what my story is, how it wants to be told, why it matters. Slowly. Rewrite after rewrite. Not very efficient, I'm afraid. Messy. Unpredictable. Fun!" Her writing mantra, Barbara claims, is simple: Look, leap and learn!

Almost as much as she loves to write, Barbara loves presenting assemblies and writing workshops in schools as a visiting author. She has taught at every level from preschool to community college and worked in an elementary school as author-in-residence, program facilitator and parent educator. In conjunction with her school visits, Barbara also offers a publishing program for student work.

Barbara Jean, a.k.a. the Story Queen, lives in Oxnard, California but considers Northwest Washington her home. Visit her online at www.barbarajeanhicks.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli, June 30, 2010

By 

S. Esquibel (Pueblo West, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli (Hardcover)

Another book for the 4 year old grandson. Another book we both love and enjoy re-reading. This is a great book for the kids who are interested in monsters, and who isn't? Would highly recommend this book, and the vendor who's service was spot on.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, January 26, 2010

By 

A. Dash (oakland, ca usa) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli (Hardcover)

This book has great illustrations and is a fun book. The two year old I gave it to loved it. His parents have to read it to him at least 2 times before he goes to sleep.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They'd rather eat tractors or a rocket ship - so how can they adjust to eating their vegetables like good monsters?, September 19, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli (Hardcover)

Barbara Jean Hicks' MONSTERS DON'T EAT BROCCOLI! receives Sue Hendra's simple yet fun drawings as it tells of monsters who insist they don't like broccoli. They'd rather eat tractors or a rocket ship - so how can they adjust to eating their vegetables like good monsters? A hilarious story evolves.