Review by Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. Many kids know how deadly a peanut allergy can be (1 in 20 children are affected). This story brings the situation home and provides some welcome information for those unfamiliar with the malady. Simon likes four foods: grapes, bagels, purple lollipops, and peanut butter, and there's nothing else in his lunch box. One day, Grant comes to Simon's school, and his peanut allergy necessitates his sitting alone during lunch. The principal tries to come up with a plan so that kids will join Grant, but it's Simon's idea to turn Grant's table into something fun. Thus the Peanut-Free Cafe is born, complete with movies and crafts. Simon, however, is not among the participants; he doesn't want to give up his peanut butter, the price of admission to the cafe. In the end, of course, Simon extends his menu (to include chili) so he can join the group, giving a nice twist to an everyday problem. The cartoon-style art is fun, with some moments of exaggerated drama, as when Grant demonstrates what would happen to him if he ate just one peanut. An appended note adds further information. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-The most popular food at Nutley School is peanut butter, and Simon eats it on a bagel every day. Then a new student who has a peanut allergy comes to the school. Principal Filbert makes a peanut-free lunch table, and anyone who has a peanut-free lunch can eat there. Grant sits there alone. Simon suggests that they make the table a fun place, and the school starts a Peanut-Free Cafe that features snacks, arts and crafts, and a movie for the admission of a peanut-free lunch. Simon can't participate because he is unable to give up his favorite food. Finally he convinces himself to eat something else so that he can join his friends, but after school and on weekends he still enjoys peanut butter. The story addresses several important topics, all with a lighthearted touch. Cocca-Leffler's humorous and exuberant illustrations make the book fun. An informative and colorful selection, told in a nonthreatening way that kids will relate to.-Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When Grant transfers to Nutley School, most kids accommodate his allergy by changing their lunch menus and forgoing peanut butter. Simon, for whom peanut butter is ""essential,"" finally accepts a new food as a lunch item and joins his friends in the ""peanut-free cafe."" The sunny art and expressive diverse kids underscore the light touch delivering the message. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Allergies to peanuts can kill and Koster and Cocca-Leffler demonstrate these dangers with brightness and feeling, using Simon and his multicultural classmates as foils because, guess what their favorite lunch food is. Enter Grant, a new student with the peanut allergy. He dramatically mimes choking, eyes squeezed, tongue stuck out, "If I eat just one peanut or anything made with peanut oil, I can't breathe." Grant explains he has to have a shot immediately and then tells them that peanut butter was not allowed in his last school. Simon and his principal thoughtfully consider what to do and the solution becomes much more fun than experiencing the joys of peanut butter. The final note comes from the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, an appropriate end for the only bibliotherapeutic picture book about peanut allergies. An attractive package with a heavy mission that manages to keep its balance. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
