Review by Booklist Review
A picture book extolling the virtues of bread! At last! Ahlberg gives us a peek of the baking process kicking off his tale, slice by slice. The first part of the loaf to go is the crust, of course, which the baker himself enjoys in all its crusty crunchiness. The baker's wife gets breakfast in bread (including toast and tea), the child gets a sandwich, and then, in the first of several animal interludes, we receive a two-page spread of dogs freaking out when the boy throws them pieces: HOORAY WOOF, WOOF FOR BREAD! The rhymes are hit-and-miss but awfully cute when they work: The next slice went out for a ride / With the baker's wife and baby / They fed the fat and feathery ducks / And a couple fishes, maybe. Though it's a bit odd when the loaf becomes sentient, Ingman helps it all hang together with pen-and-watercolor illustrations that are fresh-bread warm. A quirky topic handled as if it is perfectly normal which makes it even quirkier.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ingman and Ahlberg (The Goldilocks Variations) team up again to celebrate a single loaf of bread, following it as it comes out of the oven and feeds the baker's family, slice by slice. Ingman draws comfortable sepia-ink lines overlaid with freely stroked watercolor wash. The illustrations have a Gallic air: sunlight streams in through the windows, and the action often centers on the family's cafe-ready, blue-checked tablecloth. Jaunty, sturdy lines of verse sound like favorite nursery rhymes and include delicious bits of nonsense. "The first slice was a crust, of course/ The baker ate it early/ He loved its crusty crunchiness/ And it made his hair all curly." Verses alternate with large spreads of the baker's family scattering scraps and crumbs to neighborhood dogs and ducks: "Hooray-quack, quack-for bread!" they cheer. Even the simplest foods we eat, Ahlberg's tale points out, have stories attached to them-not just stories about their making, but stories about how they're enjoyed as well. Destined to become stained with jelly and crumbs. Ages 3-5. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A rhyming text and sunny illustrations describe a single day in the life of a loaf of bread. From the first early-morning slice eaten by the baker to the final bit discovered by a mouse long after the baker's family has gone to bed, the slices are turned into toast, sandwiches, snacks for the ducks in the park, and crumbs for the neighborhood birds. After each animal receives its treat, a full-page refrain appears ("Hooray-Woof, Woof-for bread!" says the dog). Pen and watercolor illustrations have a charming retro feel and a friendly pastel palette in a scale perfect for sharing. Unfortunately, the concept seems thin and the rhyme is often labored: "The next two slices made a pair/With butter, cheese, and ham/A sandwich for the baker's boy/And the baker's boy's dog-Sam." In spite of the appealing illustrations, this book is full of yeasty possibilities that just never rise. Additional at best.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2013. 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
This book's narrator recounts a loaf of bread's (shelf)life. After the baker's family has its fill, neighborhood animals are treated to slices and/or crumbs, with a cheery refrain adapted for each species: "HOORAY--QUACK, QUACK--FOR BREAD!" The rhyming text doesn't quite rise to the occasion, but the pen and watercolor illustrations in subdued colors are satisfying as a good slice of bread. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A baker delivers a loaf from the oven to his family's kitchen, where the bread is eaten, slice by slice, through the course of one day. Cheery acrylic artwork shows a happy clan with perky parenthesis-shaped smiles, apple cheeks and dot eyes both enjoying their mealtime bread and giving extra morsels to dogs, ducks, birds and mice. Charming portraiture, simple linework and sunny yellow backgrounds connote the warm, pure pleasure of a fine, crusty loaf. Even small children will appreciate how this family values their food, how they let none go to waste and how they share with even the smallest creatures. These animal bread lovers give thanks on joyous, full-bleed, double-page spreads with banner-sized capital letters ("HOORAY--TWEET, TWEET--FOR BREAD!"). Their hoorays offer a nice bounce and a rewarding page turn, buoying occasionally trite rhymes that surface elsewhere. The quirky, conversational language does speak directly to children, however, and the last stanza (about two runaway slices) directs little readers to turn the page for the final food festivity: A gleeful gang of smiley-faced fridge foods (beans, bacon, tomato, cheese, egg, banana, lettuce) run on hind legs to meet up with the missing slices, ready to celebrate and shout HOORAY! Mirthful artwork and friendly rhymes get readers all toasty with warm, good feelings. (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
