Review by Booklist Review
In this offbeat story about personal fulfillment, Phil Pickle gets his big break and lives his dream of being an actor. Living in a pickle jar, he seems fated to end life on a plate next to a burger and fries. Although the other pickles point out his chances of making it as an actor are slim, Phil actually lands an audition. It seems to go well, but Phil feels like he'd been run through a deli slicer and rushes back to the pickle jar. When Phil's agent appears with the news that he got the part, the other pickles become inspired and are more supportive. This is custom-made for kids who like their food adventurous and don't care that some details, such as how Phil manages to get in and out of the pickle jar, are not carefully explained. The text and brightly colored illustrations incorporate many comic touches without getting too silly, and the images of Phil in costumes for the many roles he imagines playing are particularly endearing.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A nebbishy pickle dreams of theatrical stardom in a story that doesn't quite live up to its premise. Phil Pickle, who lives in a jar on a grocery shelf, is determined to become an actor and avoid the fate common to most pickles: "Next to a burger and fries on a plate," as one of his jar-mates puts it. He's off to a good start: Phil has both an agent and an audition for a laundry detergent commercial. Newcomer Herzog includes some funny moments and wordplay ("Like pickles in a jar," thinks Phil after he sees all of the actors he is up against for the audition). But while Phil triumphs in landing the role (and inspires at least one other pickle to explore her own passions), he never actually gets his moment on stage, which makes for an anticlimactic finale. Canby's (All the Lost Things) illustrations, which have an edginess reminiscent of David Roberts's work, do a fine job of caricaturing the aggressive directors, pushy agents, motley would-be stars, and doubting "sour pickles" in Phil's life. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Phil is a pickle and spends his life in a jar with his peers, who are waiting to be chosen to sit with a burger and fries. However, Phil has ambitions; he wants to be an actor and pretend to be "different characters with unique and interesting lives." To the disbelief of the sour pickles, Phil lands an audition for a commercial about laundry soap. As his big moment arrives, Phil is overwhelmed with self-doubt. "I can't act. I'm nothing but a glorified condiment." The audition is pretty comical. The director shouts, "Cut!" after Phil utters the first line, telling him he was acting too upset. "It's just a mud stain on your shirt. It's not like you had to flush your goldfish down the toilet." Phil tries again, with a little ad-libbing. But the director yells, "Next actor," and Phil feels as if "he's been run through a deli slicer." He dejectedly returns to his fellow pickles, only to learn that he has been chosen for the role. Phil becomes an inspiration for the whole grocery store. This story may seem like a bit of briny fluff, but the message is a great one: follow your dreams and do not let sour pickles dissuade you. The illustrations are large and funny, with great color contrast and perspective. The text is witty and punny, with some references to acting stereotypes that may escape younger children. VERDICT This is a sweet/sour selection that storytime listeners should relish. Recommended as a general purchase for most libraries.-Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME © Copyright 2016. 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 Kirkus Book Review
Most pickles just wait for their turns to be served with burgers and fries. Not Phil. No, Phil yearns to be an actor. Ignoring the sour naysayers in his jar, he's already hired an agent and scheduled an audition (for a laundry commercial). But does he have what it takes to beat the teeming competition? Shouldering past both a waiting-room crowd and a moment of weakness ("I'm nothing but a glorified condiment"), he gives it his alland, despite an abrupt dismissal, learns later that he's landed the gig! In cartoon illustrations paired to Herzog's legibly hand-lettered narrative, Canby outfits her warty wannabe thespian with big round spectacles and dresses him, as he acts out his dreams, in a closet full of imaginary costumes. Not only is Phil instantly the talk of the entire grocery store, but he "became an inspiration to pickles everywhere." Better yet, when jar mate Helen Pickle later declares her determination to become a kickboxer, even the sourest pickles cheer her on. Real aspiring actors should be warned that it's not going to be that easy. Still, a feel-good story any way you slice it. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
