Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A refrigerator denizen's misunderstanding becomes a call to action in this author and illustrator debut, a punny tale of food friends tackling anxiety and climate change. Harold, a head of iceberg lettuce known for his worrywart ways, comes unglued when he watches a documentary about the world's quickly melting icebergs, the image of which matches a crumpled produce sticker on his behind: "I am an iceberg. See?" A different kind of meltdown ensues as Harold rattles off factoids while becoming increasingly distressed: "Did you know the icebergs are MELTING? At an ALARMING RATE?!" Supportive foodstuffs try to help, but nothing works until a bok choy buddy offers reassurance, clarifying Harold's reality. Newly recharged and still concerned, Harold recruits his fellow fridge pals in crafting a plan to save "MY COUSINS!"--the other icebergs in crisis. With humor and a light touch, Wyzlic balances brief expository passages with emotional dialogue. Syracuse's digitally rendered anthropomorphic foods feature noodly stick limbs, expressive eyes, and enjoyable edible details, among them a chair made of bread and olives, a butter-stick TV stand, and a hot-sauce mustache. Back matter offers tips for combating climate change. Ages 3--6. Author's agent: Natascha Morris, Tobias Literary. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--2--Calm down, climate change collections, this one's not for you. Harold is iceberg lettuce, but his label is illegible, and when he watches a documentary about icebergs melting, his natural state of worry goes into overdrive. He thinks it's about him. The other vegetables, his friends and allies, attempt to help, but honestly, Harold is something of a scene-stealer and decides that if all the other icebergs are gigantic and he is small, he must be in super peril. He heads for the freezer, but it is blocked. The back of the fridge is too sticky, and disguising himself so "warmth" won't find him doesn't work either. Blowing bubbles calms him down. Finally, the bok choy gets through to Harold, now in the middle of a full-blown panic attack, and reminds him that he is lettuce, which does not melt. The characters, googly-eyed vegetables with loads of digitally acquired personality, are charming, more than charitable, and children will love the adventure though maybe not the chaos. VERDICT With a list in the back for combatting climate change and another for calming down in case of anxiety, this is a well-intentioned debut, but likely an additional purchase.--Kimberly Olson Fakih
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Lettuce talk about meltdowns. Harold, a head of iceberg lettuce, is a worrywart. He's learned from a documentary that icebergs are melting. (Harold doesn't understand what he really is: His sticker with the words iceberg lettuce has partially peeled off; he sees only iceberg.) Harold voices his concerns to his sympathetic fridge mates, who suggest ways to cope with his anxiety, but not before he's tried escaping his dire future. Finally, a head of bok choy tells Harold what he really is and that lettuces don't me
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