Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Kramer tackles political oppression with wit, inventiveness, and a love of good food. Noodlephant the elephant is so named by her crowd of friends, who treasure her love of pasta and the way she cooks for every sort of animal-except the kangaroos, who would rather spend their time making unfair laws. Things head downhill when the kangaroos dictate that Elephants must eat only sticks and branches-enjoying pasta means time in the zoo. Throughout, sly verse interludes capture the animals' subversive spirit: "The laws for elephants and shrews/ ...should be the same as those we use,/ for all you wealthy kangaroos." Noodlephant and her friends come up with a machine that turns everything into pasta ("cans into cannelloni, pillows into ravioli"), but their creativity lands Elephant in the zoo. The story's casual disregard for narrative logic-why not just buy eggs and flour if you're going to break the law?-will baffle some readers and charm others. Graceful black ink lines and bold color wash by newcomer Steele give the story even more comic force, capturing the joy of Elephant's parties, the bleakness of her imprisonment, and her satisfaction as she finds a way to outwit her oppressors. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Elephant is obsessed with noodles of all shapes and sizes, which is why her friends have given her the name Noodlelephant. This eclectic group of friends relish her famous pasta parties. The only bossy, unfriendly animals in the town of Rooville are the cantankerous Kangeroos, who are intent on making unreasonable new laws that restrict who can swim at the beach and more. When a new law forces elephants to eat only sticks and branches, Noodlelephant creates a "Phantastic Noodler" that turns anything into noodles with a few turns of a crank. Ultimately, it is this machine that transforms the Kangaroos' rigid law book into a delicious lasagna, resulting in a peaceful resolution for all. The story presents the complex idea of pursuing social justice in a child-friendly way. The plot progresses further as Noodlelephant is taken to court and thrown into jail, only to escape when the machine changes the iron bars into udon. At more than 60 pages of text and illustrations, the book might be somewhat overwhelming for younger children, who may focus more on the pasta and the magical device, overlooking the true message of the tale. The Kangaroos are not nearly as mean-looking as they act and look a bit similar to one or two other animals. -VERDICT An ambitious message that simplifies its overall purpose; social injustice, after all, cannot be solved instantaneously with wacky inventions.-Etta -Anton, -Yeshiva of Central Queens, NY © Copyright 2019. 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
A noodle-loving elephant is jailed for violating a kangaroo-authorized law: "Noodles are for kangaroos." The book wouldn't have lost anything at half its length. Nevertheless, there's nothing undercooked about the story's message: "When the laws are so unjust / Misbehavior is a must!" Scenes of anthropomorphized animals about town help bring to life the politics of the human-free community. (c) Copyright 2019. 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
The ruling kangaroos of Rooville have successfully practiced apartheiduntil they try to ban Noodlephant's beloved pasta parties."Once there was an elephant who loved noodles. She loved noodles so much that all her friends called her Noodlephant." This quirky, imaginative tale includes a playfulness in both text and artwork, balancing its serious themes. From the beginning, readers learn that the bossy kangaroos have "deep pockets" and have privileges over all the other animals. These animals know the laws are unfair, but they don't want to be thrown into the Zoo. They find ways to enjoy life despite being restricted from the beach, the Butterfly Garden, and law-making. One day, a particularly nasty, violent kangaroo destroys Noodlephant's recent purchase of pasta ingredients and declares that noodle-eating is illegal for all but kangaroos. In a moment of literal navel-gazing, Noodlephant is inspired to build a magical machine that turns anything into pasta. Readers follow her through a kangaroo court(!)including a rudimentary introduction to the nolo contendere pleato the dreaded Zoo and her subsequent hunger strike. Help from her loyal, clever friends leads finally to a bloodless but pasta-filled revolution. Accessible sentences are peppered with spurts of couplets, wordplay, and culinary vocabulary. The art is perfect: pen-and-ink and colorful washes show numerous, wide-eyed animal citizens, anthropomorphic and, sometimes, laugh-out-loud funny."Yes, noodles are for me's and you's"humor cushions timely views. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
