There's a Giraffe in My Soup

The old joke about a diner complaining about a fly in his soup gets an update from newcomer Burach, as a dapper boy discovers a string of impossibly enormous animals in his entree. Working in pencil, paint, and digital media, Burach gets in a lot of solid visual jokes: when readers first see the boy, he has just left the chunky plastic keys to his tricycle with a befuddled-looking valet, and the titular giraffe's legs and neck trail like wobbly strands of spaghetti as the waiter races the bowl of soup back to the kitchen to fetch a replacement. Later, the sights of giant alligators roaring out of tiny bowls and a lion peering out from under a cloche are sure to trigger laughs. It's only in the text that the story falters: occasional rhymed lines and bits of wordplay ("Waiter! Waiter! Save her! Save her!.... There's an elephant in my soup, and I don't think she can swim!") don't quite keep pace with the humor of the artwork. Ages 4-8. Agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 2--Many people have experienced going out to eat and finding something they didn't order in their soup. The boy in this story is surprised to find a giraffe in his bowl, followed by an alligator, an elephant, a yak, and a whale. This is a funny book that engages readers from the very first page, when the young diner arrives at the restaurant on his Big Wheel and leaves it with the valet. The waiter does not initially believe the boy at first but realizes that the child is right and quickly brings him a fresh bowl. Each new serving brings a bigger and more difficult dilemma. The animals prove to be more of a problem for the waiter than the boy. He ends up with bandages, cuts, and a broken leg. Children will be eager to see what comes next. They will also enjoy watching the waiter become more frightened and exhausted with each trip to and from the kitchen. When it is suggested the young boy have a free dessert...things become even worse! The ending will surely elicit laughs. The exaggerated cartoon artwork is colorful and expressive. VERDICT This is a great, silly read-aloud for storytime or one-on-one sharing, especially for finicky eaters.--Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA