Review - The Smart Cookie

The Smart Cookie (The Food Group #5)
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Be a smart cookie—and don’t miss the fifth picture book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Food Group series from creators Jory John and Pete Oswald!

This cookie has never felt like a smart cookie no matter how hard she tries, especially in comparison to all the clever cupcakes and brilliant rolls in the bakery. Will a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of confidence be enough to help her learn that perfect scores and having all the answers aren’t the only ingredients for intelligence?

Jory John and Pete Oswald serve up another heaping plate of laughs and lessons with this empowering, witty, and charming addition to their #1 New York Times bestselling series!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I finally got my hands on The Smart Cookie, the fifth book in Jory John and Pete Oswald's series about sentient foodstuffs. It's just as cute as the others.

In this case, we're introduced to a cookie with a problem. She appears to have some sort of learning disability; even though she tries hard, she just can't keep up sometimes. So she thinks she's not that smart. But when her teacher, Ms. Biscotti, assigns some creative homework, the cookie gains confidence as she realizes that there are many different ways to be smart.

This is another fun book in The Food Group series. Check out my reviews for the other books:

The Bad Seed

The Good Egg

The Great Eggscape

The Cool Bean

The Couch Potato

The Sour Grape

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - The Sour Grape

The Sour Grape (The Food Group #6)
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2022
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

The Sour Grape holds grudges for every reason under the sun. Lime never returned a scarf they borrowed? Grudge! Orange never called back? Grudge! But when a friend holds a grudge against the Sour Grape without listening to an explanation, the Sour Grape realizes how unfair grudges can be. Could a bunch of forgiveness and compassion be enough to turn a sour grape sweet?

Jory John and Pete Oswald serve up another heaping plate of laughs and lessons with this empowering, witty, and charming addition to their #1 New York Times bestselling series!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

In the newest instalment of Jory John and Pete Oswald's series about emotional foodstuffs, a sour grape comes to the realization that, by holding grudges and being negative, they're cheating themselves out of the good things in life: friendship, gratitude, and inner peace.

The illustrations are cute, as they always are in these books. The text is simple, while also utilizing some challenging vocabulary (a feature I always appreciate in picture books when it's done well).

All in all, this is a nice addition to The Food Group series. Check out my reviews for some of the other books:

The Bad Seed

The Good Egg

The Great Eggscape

The Cool Bean

The Couch Potato

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - The Great Eggscape!

The Great Eggscape! (The Food Group #2.5)
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2020
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Based on the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book sensation The Good Egg, Jory John and Pete Oswald present: The Great Eggscape!

The Great Eggscape is when the Good Egg and his pals escape their carton and drop into the store for a morning of fun, enjoyed by everybody.

Well, almost everybody.

Shel (an egg) isn’t a huge fan of group activities, especially when he’s made to be “It” for a game of hide-and-seek. Nevertheless, Shel doesn’t want to let his friends down, so he reluctantly plays, anyway. But after a morning of hiding and seeking, somebody’s still missing. Will the dozen eggs friends ever be reunited?

Find out in this hilarious egg hunt adventure that reminds us to break out of our shells and help our friends in need!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I've read all the other books in Jory John and Pete Oswald's collection about sentient foodstuffs (except the forthcoming The Smart Cookie), so I thought I might enjoy The Great Eggscape! Unfortunately, it reads more like a cash grab to capitalize on the popularity of the other books.

Each of these stories features a little bit of a moral lesson for the main character. This sort of has that, but it's nowhere near as strong as in the other titles. Children may enjoy searching for the escaped eggs as they hide in the aisles of a grocery store, but there's no real overarching theme to tie everything together. Eggs stick together and don't end their game until they've all been found? Fine. But that doesn't exactly tug on the heartstrings.

The illustrations are standard fare for this series, with the added bonus of some of the eggs being dyed. (Nowhere is it mentioned how that happened... nor what the consequences will be if/when a customer opens up the carton to find the decorated eggs. Come to think of it, how long have these eggs been sitting in the dairy case? Ew...)

Check this one out if you absolutely love the series and can't bear to be without an installment. Otherwise, wait for The Smart Cookie (which will hopefully have a sweet message like the other books).

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5

Review - The Couch Potato

The Couch Potato (The Food Group #4)
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2020
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Meet your new pal-tato in the fourth picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, and The Cool Bean, Jory John and Pete Oswald.

The Couch Potato has everything he needs within reach of his sunken couch cushion. But when the electricity goes out, Couch Potato is forced to peel himself away from the comforts of his living room and venture outside. And when he does, he realizes fresh air and sunshine could be just the things he needs...

Readers of all ages will laugh along as their new best spuddy learns that balancing screen time and playtime is the root to true happiness.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This, the fourth installment in Jory John and Pete Oswald's series about sentient foodstuffs, was obviously conceived before 2020 and children became bombarded with the message to stay inside, glued to a screen, lest they kill granny. The Couch Potato is a call to go outside, breathe the air, and explore the world around us... in person.

The illustrations are just as cute as in the other books. But I think I like the message of this one a little more than some of the others. Humans (and potatoes) were never meant to spend all day inside staring at screens. That message is now more important than ever.

Fans of the series will probably love this one. Check it out to add to your tasty collection!

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4.17 out of 5

Review - The Cool Bean

The Cool Bean (The Food Group #3)
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Everyone knows the cool beans. They’re sooooo cool.

And then there’s the uncool has-bean . . .

Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd—until one day the cool beans show him how it’s done.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Having enjoyed The Bad Seed and The Good Egg, I of course wanted to take a look at The Cool Bean, the latest food-based offering from Jory John and Pete Oswald.

It's a cute story about a bean (a garbanzo, if I'm not mistaken) who thinks his friends have grown up and gotten cool, leaving him as little more than a "has-bean". But he soon realizes that his friends haven't changed in the ways that really matter, and maybe there's room in the pod for a bean who's cool in other ways.

I like the sophistication of the idea here. It isn't that the other beans get cool and snooty. It's all about the little chickpea and his perception of what's going on. His self-esteem takes a hit because he thinks he's not cool like the other beans. He isolates himself, rather than being ostracized by the others. So it's up to him to shift the way he looks at things for the story to come to its conclusion.

The illustrations are cute, just as they are in the other books in the series. I particularly like the bean's bowtie.

Overall, this is a fairly strong picture book about being yourself... and that's actually how you become a really cool bean.

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - That's What Dinosaurs Do

That's What Dinosaurs Do
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

From The Bad Seed and The Good Egg creators, Jory John and Pete Oswald, comes a story about a dinosaur who loves to ROAR.

William the dinosaur likes to roar.

At the park? “ROAR.”

At the bus stop? “ROAR!”

At the farm? You bet. ROARRR!

William never lets the chance to roar pass him by, even if others find it rather bothersome.

That's until William gets a sore throat and the doctor warns him not to roar for a WHOLE week. But can this overexcited, boisterous, giant lizard not do what dinosaurs are meant to do?!

In his humorous and insightful style, Jory John creates an epic story about unapologetically and happily being yourself, no matter the cost. Another side-splitting combination of John’s brilliant text and Pete Oswald’s expressive and lively illustrations, That’s What Dinosaurs Do is a read-aloud that young readers will roar for again and again.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

From the team that brought us The Bad Seed and The Good Egg comes a story that seems like it should have a moral... but actually doesn't (unless the moral is to let down all your inhibitions and be an unmitigated jerk).

William the dinosaur has such a successful weekend roaring at people (and farm animals) that he gives himself a sore throat. The doctor tells him he can't roar for a whole week. It's tough, because William really has an urge to roar. But he manages to hold off. After a week, his throat is a little better, so the doctor says he can roar again. And he does, scaring those around him and torpedoing his own social life.

What irks me about this one is that, in the first part of the book, William proves that he can be a decent guy by not roaring. Everyone around him is much happier. But after that, he gives in to his urge to roar every single time, destroying what little goodwill others have started to give him. When someone asks him why, he just says, "That's what dinosaurs do."

Okay... Let's change that answer to, "That's what bullies do." Would the book still work? Of course not. But William is a bully. And he's hurting himself as well as everyone else around him. Why should that be excused with a flippant catchphrase?

The illustrations by Oswald are fun, and there's even a nod to The Bad Seed in one of the pictures. I like William's bedroom and seeing him hang his head out of the bus window like a dog. But even the cutest pictures in the world won't make a book with such a problematic message work. I kept waiting for William to finally learn his lesson and see the error of his ways. That epiphany never came. All we got were excuses.

Though it might have fun illustrations and an anthropomorphized dinosaur, That's What Dinosaurs Do isn't really appropriate for children... unless you want them learning that they can just give in to any little urge and then shrug it off with a careless catchphrase. (I can't see that going over very well!)

Premise: 1/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - The Good Egg

The Good Egg (The Food Group #2)
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

In this follow-up to Jory John and Pete Oswald’s popular picture book The Bad Seed, meet the next best thing: a very good egg, indeed!

The good egg has been good for as long as he can remember. While the other eggs in his carton are kind of rotten, he always does the right, kind, and courteous thing. He is a verrrrrrry good egg indeed! Until one day he decides that enough is enough! He begins to crack (quite literally) from the pressure of always having to be grade-A perfect.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Having read The Bad Seed last year, I was eager to give The Good Egg a try. I actually like this one a little more than its predecessor... mostly because I can really relate to the main character!

The good egg is verrrrrry good. He's a perfectionist... but it doesn't extend just to himself. He gets annoyed by the other eggs in his carton (who have amusing names; I won't spoil that for you) when they don't live up to his standards. So he decides to strike out on his own. After taking some time for himself, though, he realizes he's a bit lonely. When he returns to the carton with his newfound wisdom, he's a lot more mellow. He realizes he doesn't have to be good (i.e., perfect) all the time.

This will probably resonate with perfectionists and/or sticklers for the rules. I really could have used this book when I was a kid. It used to drive me bonkers when other kids wouldn't do what they were supposed to do or if they didn't do it the way I thought it should've been done. The message about just letting some things go--that not everything has to be perfect all the time--is a nice one. Some picture books with similar messages kind of hit you over the head (which I don't like), but The Good Egg is a moral wrapped up in a pun-filled story about a goody-two-shoes egg and his quest for perfection. Oswald's illustrations, simple though they might be, are just icing on the cake.

I would recommend both The Good Egg and The Bad Seed. While they tackle different topics, they're both fun to read (for children and adults alike).

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back?

Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back?
by Jory John
illustrated by Liz Climo
Date: 2018
Publisher: Dial Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 22
Format: e-book
Source: library

A hilarious take on helping others and self awareness from New York Times bestselling author Jory John and comic artist sensation Liz Climo

Persnickety Elephant has an itch--a big one--and he can't reach it! While he isn't above asking for a little help, no one is up to the task. Turtle is too lazy, Snail is too slimy, and Alligator... well, Elephant isn't sure he wants his assistance. Does Elephant have to do everything himself?

Jory John's signature deadpan humor pairs perfectly with Liz Climo's oh-so-innocent-looking animals to create a slyly ironic read-aloud that will leave kids and parents in stitches.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This was actually more amusing than I expected. Elephant has an itch that he can't scratch. He goes around to all the other animals to ask for help, but nobody ends up being very helpful... until he encounters a hedgehog.

I didn't see the ending of this one coming, and it made me smile. Though the story may be simple and repetitive, it somehow still works. The basic illustrations are clean and uncluttered, leaving plenty of room for the story to shine through.

I've had some hits and misses with Jory John's picture books. But I think this is one of the stronger ones I've read.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5

Review - I Love You Already!

I Love You Already! (Bear & Duck #2)
by Jory John
illustrated by Benji Davies
Date: 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

From the creators of Goodnight Already!

Bear can't wait to spend a pleasant day alone.

But Duck wants to hang out.

Will Bear ever get to relax by himself?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm not sure what to make of this one. It's basically the age-old battle between introvert and extrovert. There's nothing wrong with the two types being friends, of course, but Duck's single-mindedness is kind of off-putting. He doesn't get the cues from Bear, and simply will not take "no" for an answer. All Bear wants to do is spend some quiet time alone, but there's Duck, quacking in his ear and being a general nuisance. When Duck suggests that Bear doesn't like him much, Bear reassures him that he does... which makes things even worse. Duck becomes even more insufferable.

I'm not sure what the message here is supposed to be. Bear can't win. If he tries to be a good friend, he just encourages Duck. If he were to say, "No, I don't like you. Go away, you annoying bird," he'd hurt Duck's feelings. There's really no resolution to the dilemma, which I would've liked to see in a children's book. Introverted kids are likely going to encounter such situations, and as it is, the message is basically to put up with your annoying extrovert friends, even if they're invading your space and grating on your nerves. It would've been nice for the book to show them other options for dealing with people like Duck, other than not answering the door.

The illustrations are colourful and a little bit retro. I liked seeing Duck's and Bear's houses, and the pages in the beginning when the two animals are getting ready for their day are cute. But I'm not sure if the illustrations really save the somewhat-weak story.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - Penguin Problems

Penguin Problems
by Jory John
illustrated by Lane Smith
Date: 2016
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Have you ever thought: I have so many problems and nobody even cares? Well, penguins have problems too! Discover them in this hilarious collaboration from Jory John (All my friends are dead. and Quit Calling Me a Monster!) and Lane Smith (The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales)!

This penguin has come to tell you that life in Antarctica is no paradise. For starters, it is FREEZING. Also, penguins have a ton of natural predators. Plus, can you imagine trying to find your mom in a big ol’ crowd of identical penguins? No, thank you.

Yes, it seems there is no escaping the drudgery of your daily grind, whatever it might be. Or perhaps we’ve just learned that grumps are everywhere....

This book is sure to tickle kids’ funny bones and will elicit appreciative sighs from the adults reading it aloud.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm kind of sad that I can't give this book a higher rating, because I thought the snarky penguin was funny and the illustrations made me smile. Unfortunately, this book is problematic in a number of ways.

The main character is a penguin who feels like he's got it rough. There are predators to worry about, the sun is too bright, the sea is too salty, he can't find his friends and family because everybody looks exactly the same, and to top it all off, he can't even fly. His complaining is so over-the-top that it's kind of amusing... and is probably supposed to be.

But then, a walrus comes on the scene. First of all, walruses don't even live in Antarctica. So there's no way the penguin would've known he was a walrus. Nor would he have known what the heck the walrus was talking about when he mentioned polar bears. (Walruses and polar bears are both Arctic creatures; penguins live in the Antarctic region.) As if that isn't bad enough, the walrus then presumes to know that he understands a penguin's problems and then completely invalidates the penguin's feelings.

As someone living with an invisible disability, I've had to listen to walruses for a long time: "Other people have it worse." "At least it's not cancer." "Why don't you just appreciate what you have?" When people start giving advice when they have zero experience with what you're going through, it's extremely frustrating. The condescending walrus has never lived a penguin's life; therefore, he has no right to tell the penguin how he should feel about it. In a general sense, the walrus's advice is okay (appreciate what's around you, etc.) but it might rub people who have dealt with walruses in their own lives the wrong way.

The illustrations are much cuter than the cover suggests. I don't know why someone didn't choose a less cluttered illustration for the cover. (When I look at it in a thumbnail, I actually see skunks, not penguins!) There are so many cute pictures on the inside, it wouldn't have been difficult to come up with something a little more aesthetically pleasing.

Overall, I can't really recommend this one. I don't like books that promote the idea that you should go around passing judgment on people because they're not feeling the same way about life that you are. It's presumptuous, it's disrespectful, and its a glaring display of privilege. And in the case of this book, it would be like a tourist from New York City going to the streets of New Delhi and telling a homeless person, "Be grateful. At least you don't have to worry about snow."

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5

Review - Quit Calling Me a Monster!

Quit Calling Me a Monster!
by Jory John
illustrated by Bob Shea
Date: 2016
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

The talented creators of I Will Chomp You! brilliantly frame the struggle to buck stereotypes and learn empathy in this monster’s hilarious lament.

Floyd Patterson is so much more than shaggy purple fur and pointy monster teeth— why can’t people just see him for him? Jory John and Bob Shea have struck gold in creating a knee-slapping, read-it-again story that will start a valuable discussion about how we treat others and how it feels to be seen as “different.”

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The synopsis makes this book sound deeper than it really is. It's basically just the whiny lament of Floyd Peterson, a monster who doesn't want to be called a monster... even though he is. I'm not quite sure what the point is supposed to be. It's like denying who you are because other people misunderstand what that is. That's not your problem... it's theirs.

This book reminded me of another of Jory John's picture books, The Bad Seed. But that one was a lot more amusing, and the play on words worked in the premise's favour. The seed really was "bad", and there was a whole story about how he got that way. In this book, Floyd is just a monster who seems to be in denial about his identity. It confused me as an adult... so I'm not sure how this would play with kids.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.5 out of 5

Review - The Bad Seed

The Bad Seed (The Food Group #1)
by Jory John
illustrated by Pete Oswald
Date: 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Month from the New York Times bestselling author of the Goodnight Already! series

This is a book about a bad seed. A baaaaaaaaaad seed. How bad? Do you really want to know?

He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. He's been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody and never listens. But what happens when one mischievous little seed changes his mind about himself, and decides that he wants to be--happy?

With Jory John's charming and endearing text and bold expressive illustrations by Pete Oswald, here is The Bad Seed a funny yet touching tale that reminds us of the remarkably transformative power of will, acceptance, and just being you. Perfect for readers young and old, The Bad Seed proves that positive change is possible for each and every one of us.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I kept seeing this e-book pop up on the library site, so I finally decided to give it a try. It's actually pretty funny. The Bad Seed lives in a world populated by sentient seeds (and humans, as it turns out). He's a very bad seed. He doesn't listen, and he cuts in line, and he stares at other seeds to make them uncomfortable.

But he's also got a backstory that sort of helps explain why he is the way he is. Trauma can do strange things to a person seed. (His background is rather harrowing. I mean, if you're a seed.)

Can a truly bad seed change their ways? This book explores that, and while I found the ending a little too simple, this is a picture book, so I'm not expecting a psychology dissertation. The illustrations definitely make up for the thinness of the story's resolution; they're very well done.

I'm glad I finally picked this one up. It's entertaining, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5