Jim Aylesworth: Books * Books * Books

The Burger and the Hot Dog by Jim Aylesworth Illustrated by Stephen Gammell (Atheneum, 2001) Aylesworth's zany rhymes and Gammell's illustrations combine to make an unforgettable foray into food and rhyme. A fish stick, bacon strips, and bagels come to life in this wild and wacky world where sticky buns are sick of being sticky and a carrot is the lead singer in a band called Veggie Soup. Gammell's art is beyond wonderful -- it's over the tabletop -- bold, expressive, and full of color. This Caldecott Award winner's illustrations perfectly capture the humor of the supermarket-full cast of characters created by Aylesworth. Read the book and write a review. Click here to put your review on the Simon & Schuster/Atheneum website.

"Kids who devour poems by Silverstein and Prelutsky will sink their teeth into this collection of poetry featuring a banquet of fanciful food characters. Creative teachers will find lots of ways to integrate these poems into the classroom, especially to liven up lessons on nutrition and the food pyramid. The final poem, 'Up to You,' encourages young readers to write their own poems about 'food folks.'" -- Kirkus Reviews, 2001.

"Zany food rhymes and humorous portraits of bagels and bananas are the special of the day in this new collaboration from Aylesworth and Gammell (previously teamed for Old Black Fly). The 23 catchy verses feature personality-packed edible stars, dilemmas that turn on the food's trademark characteristics and loads of goofy puns....Youngsters will enjoy..." -- Publishers Weekly

"... the combination of food and nonsense is irresistible and the words and pictures are loaded with puns. After [reading the poems] kids may be ready to take up Aylesworth's challenge on the last page and write their own food farce." -- Booklist

"... some clever wordplay-the slogan of a band comprised of vegetables is: "The Band with a Beet," This book may elicit chuckles and inspire some creative-writing efforts..." -- School Library Journal

Download the press release from the publisher. (PDF)