Oh No, Monster Tomato!

K-Gr 2—Marvin is the smallest child in his family, but when the Great Grislygust Grow-off comes around, he is determined to produce the tastiest tomatoes and win. His brother and sister bait and tease him, calling him a "titchy weed," but he has a potion and a few songs up his sleeve. He grows a plant so large that it shoots its tomatoes—they are the size of beach balls—at his mean siblings: "Whoomph!" And when he wins the contest, the prize only serves to set his sights on next year's competition. Helmore uses alliteration to make the story sing—"Prunella's pumpkins were plumping up"—and the rollicking words dance across the pages. Wall's vibrant, cartoon-style, collage illustrations can seem as fast-growing as Marvin's plant. Two foldouts are used effectively to enhance the story, and musical notations are incorporated into the pictures. A fun read-aloud at storytimes, where listeners will cheer for Marvin.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ