Banana!
Banana!
Ed Vere (Illustrator)
How much emotion can you invest in the word "banana"? A lot. In this nearly wordless book, a googly-eyed, ropy-tailed, ebullient brown monkey in a red and white striped shirt pursues a monkey in a blue and white shirt, who is tossing a banana in the air. "Banana!" the first monkey shouts, while the other one holds the fruit covetously. The banana-deprived monkey demands, has a tantrum, cries piteously, and finally says, "Please," (the only word, other than the oft-repeated cry of "Banana!" in the text) before he gets to share that tantalizing piece of fruit. Drawn against super-bright monochrome backgrounds, the figures of the two monkeys look like they've been outlined by a toddler wielding an oversized black marker.
Themes : ANIMALS. BEHAVIOR. EASY READERS. FOOD.
CRITICS HAVE SAID
- With big, bold spreads and only two words (“Banana” and “Please”), Vere’s (The Getaway) story about sharing packs impressive graphic force.
–Publishers Weekly
IF YOU LOVE THIS BOOK, THEN TRY:
- Anholt, Catherine, and Laurence Anholt. Chimp and Zee. Putnam, 2001.
- Christelow, Eileen. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. Clarion, 1989.
- Elliott, David. Finn Throws a Fit. Candlewick, 2009.
- Freymann, Saxton. Fast Food. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, 2006.
- Gravett, Emily. Monkey and Me. Simon & Schuster, 2008.
- Gravett, Emily. Orange Pear Apple Bear. Simon & Schuster, 2007.
- Raschka, Chris. Yo! Yes? Orchard, 1993.
- Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? Scholastic/Blue Sky, 2005.
- Willems, Mo. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog. Hyperion, 2004.