FICTION

Even Aliens Need Snacks

by Matthew McElligott
2012. 40p. 978-0-80272-398-7.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2–A young chef has a penchant for whipping up out-of-this-world recipes. His sister is not impressed with an “eggplant, mustard and lemonade smoothie” and admonishes him that “no one in the whole universe” would eat his food. Undeterred, he opens up a snack stand and attracts some late-night patrons. McElligott’s ink, pencil, and digital illustrations show an eclectic lineup of aliens, including a doughnut-shaped, duck-footed creature and a wide-mouthed purple being with a toothy grin. They all love the boy’s “turnip-side-down cake,” “sponge cake with leeks,” and “toothpaste soup.” While his final dish of the season, “galactic pudding,” is met with moans of “YICH!” from extraterrestrials holding their noses, his unsuspecting sister tucks into it with relish. As in McElligott’s Even Monsters Need Haircuts (Walker, 2010), the droll, first-person narration is full of witty quips. A tasty treat sure to please.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
A young aspiring chef invents creative (and revolting) culinary delights. While his big sister insists that "no one in the whole universe would eat" his concoctions, extraterrestrial visitors come to sample such delicacies as toothpaste soup and turnip-side-down cake. The silliness of McElligott's story is matched by his muted ink, pencil, and digital illustrations of goofy-looking aliens eating wacky cuisine.
A humorous, well-paced picture book. Readers will be tickled—and perhaps just a little disgusted—by the young chef’s inventive concoctions. Matthew McElligott cleverly matches many of the customers’ favorite snacks with their physical characteristics. For example, an alien with a fungus-shaped head likes “mushroom iced tea” and a gigantic extraterrestrial with more than 100 teeth is a big fan of “toothpaste soup.” In a charming twist ending, the chef’s older sister, initially put off by his cooking, is the only other creature—human or alien—who has a taste for Galactic Pudding, “a dessert made from every single one of [his] favorite ingredients.” Each of McElligott’s colorful creatures is delightfully unique, from a dodo bird with an oxygen helmet to a drippy blue monster who could have stepped from an enormous Jell-O mold. The aliens’ revolted expressions after they try the galactic pudding are sure to amuse.

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