In a dismal old schoolhouse down by the sea, there was a young boy named Mucumber McGee. Lunch had begun and was nearly complete. Would there still be food for Mucumber to eat? There was nary a hot dog or even beef stew, only a plate full of brown, lumpy goo. Some decisions are often quite hard to make—should Mucumber really eat that liver cake?
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 1–3—Mucumber is back in another epicurean pickle. This time he is late for lunch and the school cafeteria seems to have no food left. Then, the fearsome lunch lady gives him her very special dish: liver cake. Initially he's repulsed—"It looked like an old bowling shoe/and smelled like rotten cheese"—but his sister suggests it might not be liver, "it might be a SPLEEN!" When the boy reluctantly tries a bite of the cake, he is astonished to find it is delicious. Loehr's illustrations evoke a sense of chilly and macabre doings. The school is painted in purple shadows on stone walls with arched windows, looking more like a haunted castle than a place of education. The children are drawn with large round heads, stick-thin legs, and dusky eyes. These wonderful pictures set a scary tone, although in substance the tale is not frightening at all. The rhyming text creates rich images. The story begins with a negative stereotype of cafeteria cooks, but the ending is a gratifying surprise. "If your lunch is scary/and lumpy and brown,/if the smell makes you grimace/and the color makes you frown…/Don't worry—/it won't taste as bad as it looks./Because lunch ladies are usually…/very good cooks." This tribute to cafeteria cooks is a particularly good choice for school libraries and an enjoyable read-aloud for public library storytimes. It is also a good alternative for October programs where Halloween is not celebrated.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Mucumber McGee, looking like a colorized tyke lifted from an Edward Gorey drawing, in a “dismal old schoolhouse / down by the sea,” returns for his second gastronomic adventure. When Mucumber arrives late for lunch and finds nothing to eat, the lunchlady gives him a plate of foul-looking and even fouler-smelling “liver cake.” He worries that as bad as that sounds, what’s in the brown glop might be even worse: it could be poisonous spleen or even bits of rats and frogs. Lest he wind up in the cleaver-wielding lunchlady’s next stew himself, he tries a bite and finds it to be—surprise!—positively delightful. The deep purples and blacks of the old stone-walled schoolhouse, and pale-faced Mucumber, dressed in lapels, a bow tie, and knickerbockers, play nicely to the lightly macabre tone, evoking classic orphan and schoolyard tales. Kids everywhere struggle with gross lunchroom meals; maybe this will help put it in perspective. OK, probably not, but they will definitely relate to Mucumber’s plight. Grades 1-3. --Ian Chipman
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mucumber is Late to Lunch! Read this Creative and Unique Picture Book,
By M. Waller "Pegasus" (Arvada, CO , USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mucumber McGee and the Lunch Lady's Liver (Hardcover)
Patrick Loehr has illustrated and written a completely unique picture book that young children will love to see and hear, over and over. School aged children will truly enjoy reading this funny, sweet, and unusual story to themselves and others. The rhyming words are perfect for young readers, and reminds me of Dr Seuss, with a twist. Older children will really understand the humor and relate to times they have been late for lunch. I am a retired 1-2nd grade teacher, and there have been many times my students have arrived late for lunch, with all of the Big Kids and Big Brothers or Sisters staring at the Late Lunch Child. All kids can relate with this story. It will be a big hit with all Lunch Ladies and Men that serve so many children each day, and land a helping hand to the children who have trauma at the lunch line. I've read and collected thousands of books in my 36 year career, and I've never read a story about the lunch lady! This is a terrific book! Read it and share!
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Funny and Lyrical,
By Toddler Mommy (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mucumber McGee and the Lunch Lady's Liver (Hardcover)
Great book, my 4 year old asks for it and quotes from it often. Exaggerated expressions on artwork is appealing, and writing is rhythmical and a pleasure to read at bedtime. content is very funny and artwork has fun details in it and gothic lighting.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quirky and cute!,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mucumber McGee and the Lunch Lady's Liver (Hardcover)
I saw these books when I was at my broker's office getting ready to look at houses... Thumbed through them and I knew I had to order them for my daughter the next day! She loves sort of creepy, dark Tim-Burtonesque movies and stories so I knew she would love these... They have a similar look about the illustrations, and the stories themselves are funny and quirky. LOVE these Patrick Loehr books! I've already recommended them to a friend, and I can't wait until he comes out with some more.
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