Burger Boy

Starred review from September 4, 2006
In Durant's (Always and Forever
) entertaining cautionary tale starring a picky eater, Benny's mother warns, "If you don't watch out, you'll turn into a burger one day
." Sure enough, Benny does. In a comical Gingerbread Boy sequence, Benny ends up being chased up hill and down by a pack of hungry dogs, a herd of cows ("Don't you know what burgers are made of?" they moo) and even a gaggle of rowdy boys. When he finally finds refuge with the Bigga Burgers Restaurant manager, it's his mother who saves him from being exploited—"That's no burger, that's my son!
" Newcomer Matsuoka provides half the book's fun with her playful colored pencil, acrylics and cut-paper illustrations. Roly-poly Benny and his brown and yellow striped shirt slowly morph into a round mustard slathered burger with spindly legs. He desperately shouts, "I'm not a burger, I'm a boy!
" to everyone he meets, but it's not until he starts eating his veggies that his plump bun-faced body returns back to normal. Benny's mother predicts that if he doesn't eat something besides veggies he'll turn into one, and Matsuoka pictures his orange pants elongating and his spikey hair turning green as a hungry rabbit hovers nearby. Durant's text is suitably fast-paced and efficient without a hint of didacticism, and Matsuoka's cheery illustrations brim with comical details in a book with its eat-right message served lightly on the side. Ages 4-7.

October 1, 2006
PreS-Gr 2-This rollicking British import takes the format of The Gingerbread Boy and turns it into a cautionary tale. Young Benny has never met a burger he didnt like; in fact, he will eat nothing else. After a steady diet of beef patties on a bun, he becomes one and finds himself being chased across the countryside by a pack of dogs, a herd of cows, and a group of hungry boys. He is finally saved from being a sideshow attraction at a burger franchise by his wise mother, who plies him with fruits and vegetables. The story is saved from a didactic and predictable ending by the warning that Benny should take care not to eat just vegetables, lest he finds himself transformed again. The simple lines and lively colors of the acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations add to the kid appeal. A fun addition to any library collection, "Burger Boy" perfectly suits a picky-eater-themed storytime that includes Russell Hobans "Bread and Jam for Frances" (HarperCollins, 1964) or Mary Ann Hobermans "The Seven Silly Eaters" (Harcourt, 1997)."Rita Hunt Smith, Hershey Public Library, PA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2006
Burgers are the only thing Benny will eat. His mom warns him, "If you don't watch out, you'll turn into a burger!" One day he does. Dogs hound him, cows threaten him, and hungry kids chase him--despite his insistence that he is really a boy. When the owner of Bigga Burger picks him up in his van, Benny thinks he is safe--until he is put on display as a "giant, talking burger." Then it's Mom to the rescue; she takes him home and feeds him veggies, which, it turns out, Benny loves. Cartoonlike collage illustrations are the perfect compliment for this cautionary tale; the spread of Benny morphing into a cheeseburger is especially comical. Enticed by the title and cover, kids will giggle over the familiar admonition. They'll certainly have no beef with the spoof; whether they'll be converted to vegetarians is another matter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2007
Picky-eater Benny consumes so many hamburgers, he turns into one. This cautionary tale's plot is stock, right down to the ending, when Benny learns to love vegetables a bit [cf2]too[cf1] zealously. However, Durant's writing has zest and is well supported by Matsuoka's colored-pencil, cut paper, and acrylic illustrations of the burger-ized Benny being chased all over town by hungry people and animals.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)