Aw, Nuts!

Gr 3-5–Set in the land of Foodtopia, Peanut and his best friend Jelly work at the second lowest job in town, the Crumb Dump, were the two friends dream of moving up the food chain while they sort crumbs. Their boss Tony, a bologna slice, is less than interested in their hopes and threatens them with a demotion to Crumb Collector if they do not stay focused on the job. Jelly, an amorphous blob of grape jelly, can transform himself into any shape—a talent that both creates and helps solve big problems. While trying to retrieve a hat, the two friends unleash a toothy giant worm that lives in the dump. This horrific Crumb Feeder begins to eat everything in sight, and the intrepid duo must capture it. Using Jelly’s morphing abilities, Peanut comes up with a plan and a wild chase ensues. Although they feel their dreams of reaching the “Toppings” of the Foodtopia pyramid are farther than ever, the duo value their friendship more. Color saturated drawings are embedded in varying panel sizes. Close-ups, shifting perspectives, and gutter use add a sense of speed and movement. White dialogue boxes are easy to follow and read. Food puns abound although some will pass over the intended audience’s heads.