Review - Please Don't Eat Me

Please Don't Eat Me
by Liz Climo
Date: 2019
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Beloved author-illustrator Liz Climo is back with a hilarious take on (reluctant) friendship that will appeal to fans of We Don't Eat Our Classmates and I Want My Hat Back!

When a carefree bunny is approached by a voracious bear in the woods, Bunny has just one request: "Please don't eat me."

But the bear has a never-ending list of requests, and Bunny realizes maybe Bear isn't as hungry as he'd let on...maybe he just wants his new friend's company for a while.

This witty and poignant exploration of predator and prey will have children and parents alike roaring with laughter--and looking for their next meal.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is an amusing little story about a bunny and a supposedly hungry bear. When the bunny encounters the bear in the woods, the bear wants to eat them. The bunny orders a pizza instead, which they share. But the bear is still hungry and insists they must eat the bunny. After all, they don't want to not eat a bunny in front of their friends. And so it goes, until at last the bunny gets fed up and tells the bear to just get it over with... at which point we learn that the bear has an appetite for friendship rather than rabbit salad.

The premise is cute, and the emotions of the bunny (ranging from fear to frustration to resignation) are fun to watch. The illustrations are simple but effective.

Overall, I think kids (and their parents) will get a kick out of this one. And the message is nice, too. Sometimes, if you want someone to hang out with, the best thing to do is just ask.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5