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Jump to navigationJump to searchBlood and Guts and Rats' Tail Pizza by Vivian French and Chris Fisher (view source)
Revision as of 16:55, 7 November 2013
, 16:55, 7 November 2013no edit summary
|summary=Snips and snails and puppy dog tails (or in this case rat tails) - that's what this little boy's lunch is made of in this fun early reader from acclaimed author Vivian French.
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Despite a revolting menu with dishes like slug and snail stew or rats' tail pizzas, Billy Bone's café was usually packed at lunchtime. Perhaps because there was no other place to eat. All of their customers were male, because neither Billy Bones, nor his assistant Hank liked girls at all. A large sign in the window proclaimed ''Absolutely No Girls! '' But one day the customers disappeared - and what was worse, Hank soon discovered their customers had all been stolen by girls. The girls were very large, green and hairy but they were girls nonetheless, and their traveling cake shop had enticed all of Billy Bone's customers away.
This book is highly stereotypical. The boys hate the girls at first but later decide they like them - because girls can cook. And it turns out the boys can cook too - for dogs at least. But my son doesn't really know what stereotypes are, as far as he was concerned it was just plain funny, and in all honesty I had a good laugh myself, because Billy Bone's cooking reminded so much of my husband's. Lets just hope I don't resemble the green hairy monster too much! Sometimes stereotypes can be funny if they aren't taken too far. If you are concerned with books being politically correct, this book will not be for you. But, if you're simply looking for a short funny story that younger children will enjoy listening to, and older children will want to read for themselves this is worth considering. It has plenty of laughs but it does have a lesson as well. It shows the importance of saying you are sorry and doing the right thing. It's a good thing even monsters can be gracious once an apology is offered, and even more shocking, girls can be good friends given the chance.
