Review by Booklist Review
After waiting a bigillion years, Izzy is finally allowed to set the table by herself. But setting it the same old way is really BBORINGGG!! as Dish, Fork, Knife, Spoon, Cup, and Napkin must settle in the same old place night after night. When the group mixes it up, Izzy's parents don't understand: Back to your proper spot NOW, says Mom. An especially sour Dish and Spoon decide to run away together, much to the consternation of the remaining utensils, and send humorous postcards with photos from their travels. Eventually, the two return home (Dish is broke), bringing two skinny friends shouting Ni hao! as they arrive with their suitcase. Once again, the ordinary place setting is turned upside down when the chopstick couple is added to the mix. The humorous drawings in pencil, watercolor, and textured paper employ numerous puns set at a child's level. Cup, Knife, Fork, and Napkin (the stay-at-homes) each have distinct personalities, and Izzy, with her hair bow and red-and-white striped kneesocks, is a winning character as she emotes boredom, loss, and joy.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bored with setting the table the same, proper way night after night, Izzy and her friends Dish, Fork, Knife, Spoon, Cup, and Napkin try to mix things up. Who says you can't sit on the table and put all the tableware into a full milk cup? Their experiments fail miserably, although they do uncover the existence of spoon flatulence and, more importantly, bring Dish and Spoon together. Faster than anyone who's read Mother Goose can say, "Called it," the two run away together. Clanton (Vote for Me!) packs plenty more jokes, visual asides, puns, and wordplay ("Cup felt terribly empty inside") into the action that ensues between the elopement to a happy reunion over a dinner of mac and cheese. Throughout, his crisp drawings and liberal use of white space keep a sense of comic excess at bay. Dish and Spoon's letters from their travels, which arrive later in the book, are an especially funny evocation of innocents abroad, bringing to mind the naif, anthropomorphic humor of Pee-wee's Playhouse. Ages 4-8. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Clanton transforms a common household task into an adventure in this quirky story. Young Izzy is proud when Mom allows her to take on the responsibility of setting the dinner table. Each night, she instructs her anthropomorphic friends, Dish, Fork, Knife, Spoon, Cup, and Napkin, to take their appropriate spots, but soon the chore becomes tedious. Izzy's pals think that switching places at the table is "the best idea since macaroni and cheese," but the imaginative girl's parents don't agree. Unhappy with returning to their accustomed arrangement, Dish runs away with Spoon. Izzy and the others worry about the missing pair until they receive a series of letters from around the world. When the travelers finally return, they bring with them two new friends, a pair of chopsticks. The author sprinkles the text with silly jokes to make young readers giggle ("Did you hear that Pot boiled over? Yeah! He was really steamed.") and gives a sly nod to Mother Goose's beloved nursery rhyme. The pencil and watercolor illustrations in pastel shades contain comic-book elements and add more humor to the story. Izzy is a bright, likable character with her bobbed hair and rosy cheeks. Pair this book with Simon James's hilarious Baby Brains and RoboMom (Candlewick, 2008) to help youngsters learn about helping around the house.-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA (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
For anyone who's ever wondered why the dish and spoon from "Hey, Diddle, Diddle" run away, where they go, and what they do, Clanton provides readers with the tableware's backstory. The kid-friendly pictures extend the lighthearted text's humor with comments and dialogue bubbles. This might satisfy those not ready for Mini Grey's more sophisticated The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon. (c) Copyright 2014. 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 young girl receives a new responsibility, but when the prized task becomes a boring duty, she and her tableware friends must find a way to keep things fresh and funny in this winning tale. Izzy and her anthropomorphized cutlery and crockery finally get to set the table themselves, but excitement wears thin after completing the chore a zillion times. To break the ennui, they try different arrangements to comical results. But when Dish runs away with Spoon, chaos, hunger and silly puns ensue. Letters home from the travelers boost the absurdity; references to the familiar nursery rhyme add still more fizz to the fun. After traveling the world, the two voyagers return home to a glorious macaroni-and-cheese dinneruntil the Chopsticks stop by to stir things up. The author's amusing text is enhanced by simple illustrations full of energy and charm. Done in pencil and watercolor, his playful characters enliven the pages. Repetitious panels and a witty design make for one enjoyable journey. Clanton makes chores a delight! (Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
