The End (Almost)

K-Gr 2—Riding the recent trend toward metafiction in picture books, Benton introduces readers to a rotund blue bear who is alarmed that the narrator has declared, "The end." after only two pages. Donut is incredulous, defiant, and dejected by turns, conversing with the narrator via speech bubbles. Finally, the narrator agrees to continue the story; however, the next page turn reveals that the book is out of pages. Donut is crestfallen until the narrator offers to read the story again. The use of flat planes of color, heavy outlines, and cheeky characters is reminiscent of the work of Mo Willems and Bob Shea, but the characters here are more static and predictable. The ending prompts readers to start over from the beginning, but the joke already feels over by that point. Humor is subjective, so there are certainly readers for this title, but overall it seems too derivative to attract a large audience. This is a serviceable purchase for large collections, and with Donut grinning toothily on the cover, it will certainly circulate, but libraries that are counting their pennies won't miss out by passing on this one.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN