Top Banana [Hardcover]

Cari Best (Author), Erika Oller (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Benny the parrot, an amazing bird with the ability to read, has everything a bird could want, until he has to share his owner's attention with a rare flower.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3. Benny the parrot is top banana in the home of his owner, Flora Dora. The woman pampers her bird to no end, even though "he was just the chirping kind." Benny can read, however, and when his owner takes him out into the world on the back of her bicycle, he is thrilled. When Flora spots an exotic orchid (named Scarlett O'Hara) and brings it home, trouble starts. At first, the parrot tries to share his happy home with the flower, but when Flora states that both orchid and bird are "the sweetest, most beautiful creatures on earth," jealousy sets in. Benny dreams of harming Scarlett. When the flower droops and wilts, though, he shows his true colors. Using his reading skills, he discovers that the rain forest is where an orchid like Scarlett belongs and sets about transforming the bathroom into a "warm, wet, and windy" jungle. When he does his howler monkey impression, the change is complete and the orchid recovers. The offbeat characters add a bit of punch to the common theme of jealousy. Still, Benny's anger seems contrived, and the plot lacks tension. There is some visual humor in the watercolor illustrations, particularly when the parrot shares his activities with the potted plant, including hopscotch and pie baking. Despite the mild warmth and humor in the characterizations, it is still hard to get very involved in the antics of Benny, Flora, and Scarlett.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A tongue-in-cheek tale of Flora Dora's pampered pet parrot, Benny, who is so smart he can read the newspaper (it has long lined the bottom of his cage). Benny's life is idyllic until he has to share his space, his shower baths, and worst of all, Flora's bedtime stories with an interloper, an exotic orchid named Scarlett O'Hara. Benny fantasizes about the mayhem he could wreak on Scarlett, but when the hothouse beauty droops and sickens, Benny saves her life by creating a mini-rainforest in Flora's bathroom. Best (Getting Used to Harry, 1996) has an offbeat, funny take on sibling rivalry, with lots of wordplay to amuse older listeners and readers. Oller's debut is a solid success: Her ink and watercolor monotypes, in a warm palette and full of throwaway humor, invest Flora and Benny--even Scarlett--with enough personality to carry a sequel. (Picture book. 5-9) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Orchard Books (NY) (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531300099
• ISBN-13: 978-0531300091
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,626,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This author is a "Top Banana", May 25, 2003

By 

kt94 "kt94" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Top Banana (Hardcover)

Best has done it again! Another great story! This parrot is a hoot and my daughter runs around screaming TOP BANANA because she loves the story so much! A great story for children who face an adjustment -- the parrot has to adjust from being an only "child" to sharing the attention of Flora Dora -- as she adopts an orchid. He wants to cut off her flowers, but grows to love her, and thereby grows the love of the family. A wonderful tale, well told by this masterful storyteller! Great illustrations, too!