FICTION

I Love Lemonade

by Mark SOMMERSET
illus. by Rowan Sommerset. 32p. Candlewick. Aug. 2016. Tr $14. ISBN 9780763680671.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—In this follow-up to Baa Baa Smart Sheep, the duped Quirky Turkey is out for revenge. He waits for Little Baa Baa, shiftily holding a glass of "lemonade." "It looks a bit like pee," Little Baa Baa says. Turkey assures the lamb that the glass holds fresh-squeezed lemonade and is tricked into guzzling it down himself. "Oh no—I forgot. It WAS pee!" Little Baa Baa then offers the bird a cowpat "cookie." The goofy farm animals are drawn with a certain Boynton-esque charm, but there is no wit or kindness to soften the gross trickery. This title does not stand on its own, and the engaging cartoons and back-and-forth dialogue don't save it.
VERDICT Although many young audiences will roar with laughter at the scatological humor, the mean-spiritedness and gross-out factor will be turnoffs for most adults.
Reviewed by Rachel Anne Mencke, St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, CA
Quirky Turkey wants "sweet revenge" after being duped into eating poop in Baa Baa Smart Sheep. But after an extended speech-bubble conversation with Little Baa Baa about the "lemonade" Quirky Turkey's holding, the unlucky bird gets tricked into drinking the pee. The quintessential gross-out humor will resonate with second graders; minimalist illustrations capture the antagonistic vibe in the characters' expressions.
 , Aug 01, 2016

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