Chopsticks (Spoon #2)

The chopsticks from Rosenthal and Magoon's Spoon (2009) take center stage in this clever companion book, which is as charming and whimsical as its predecessor. Best friends, the chopsticks are all but inseparable. "They go everywhere together. They do everything together. They're practically attached at the hip." But while trying a fancy new culinary trick, one of the chopsticks snaps and is whisked away (literally, by a whisk) to the medicine cabinet, where a grave bottle of glue pronounces, "It was a clean break. He just needs to stay off it while it sets." The marriage of text, digital art, and design provide plentiful puns and laugh-out-loud humor, as the injured chopstick encourages his friend to explore the world without him ("Go! Chop, chop!"). He eventually picks up a whole new set of skills, helping Spoon pole vault, testing cupcakes for doneness, and even conducting a motley kitchen-utensil orchestra. Rosenthal spells out the story's message--"Unexpectedly, being apart had made each of them even stronger"--but it's leavened with plenty of droll comedy, reminding readers that solo practice can make for even better duets. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 2—Chopsticks, the "cool and exotic" duo first introduced in Spoon (Albert Whitman, 2010), have always done everything together, from playing hide-and-seek behind the broccoli to twirling spaghetti. However, when they experiment with karate chopping the asparagus, disaster strikes. While the broken one rests, allowing the glue to set, his partner never leaves his side. After a week passes, however, the injured chopstick insists that his friend venture out on his own. Reluctant at first, protesting that he can't possibly do anything by himself, the chopstick eventually discovers that he can indeed function independently, and when his friend has recuperated, they discover new things together. This sweet story of friendship features a lot of droll wordplay. For example, when Chopstick needs to be whisked away for medical attention, it is the whisk that does the whisking. Magoon's expressive, digitally rendered cartoons are the perfect complement to this quirky tale. Not an essential purchase, but great fun.

—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The chopsticks from Rosenthal and Magoon's Spoon (2009) take center stage in this clever companion book, which is as charming and whimsical as its predecessor. Best friends, the chopsticks are all but inseparable. "They go everywhere together. They do everything together. They're practically attached at the hip." But while trying a fancy new culinary trick, one of the chopsticks snaps and is whisked away (literally, by a whisk) to the medicine cabinet, where a grave bottle of glue pronounces, "It was a clean break. He just needs to stay off it while it sets." The marriage of text, digital art, and design provide plentiful puns and laugh-out-loud humor, as the injured chopstick encourages his friend to explore the world without him ("Go! Chop, chop!"). He eventually picks up a whole new set of skills, helping Spoon pole vault, testing cupcakes for doneness, and even conducting a motley kitchen-utensil orchestra. Rosenthal spells out the story's message-"Unexpectedly, being apart had made each of them even stronger"-but it's leavened with plenty of droll comedy, reminding readers that solo practice can make for even better duets. PW"