The Peanut Pickle

K-Gr 2—Six-year-old Ben does a good job of advocating for himself by helping others understand his peanut allergy. He knows the right questions to ask of all the adults and peers with whom he comes into contact and he's vigilant about observing situations where there may be the presence of peanuts. For instance, a neighborhood friend stops by to play and is licking peanut butter off his fingers just as Ben opens the door. Ben has a great attitude about his serious allergy; he knows how to be explicit and friendly but firm about his needs. Unfortunately, the title is never really explained, so children may not understand what "being in a pickle" means. Also, the illustrations are a bit off-putting because it appears that Roslyn has used the same head shot of Ben on several pages but changed the body a bit; and the heads of all the characters are fairly detailed, while the bodies and clothing are less so. Functional, at best.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID