Chopsticks

K-Gr 2—Chopsticks, the "cool and exotic" duo first introduced in Spoon (Albert Whitman, 2010), have always done everything together, from playing hide-and-seek behind the broccoli to twirling spaghetti. However, when they experiment with karate chopping the asparagus, disaster strikes. While the broken one rests, allowing the glue to set, his partner never leaves his side. After a week passes, however, the injured chopstick insists that his friend venture out on his own. Reluctant at first, protesting that he can't possibly do anything by himself, the chopstick eventually discovers that he can indeed function independently, and when his friend has recuperated, they discover new things together. This sweet story of friendship features a lot of droll wordplay. For example, when Chopstick needs to be whisked away for medical attention, it is the whisk that does the whisking. Magoon's expressive, digitally rendered cartoons are the perfect complement to this quirky tale. Not an essential purchase, but great fun.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ