About the Holiday

Today’s holiday gives kids an opportunity to get into the kitchen and help prepare meals—or perhaps create the whole meal themselves. By being involved, kids learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits. Planning menus, shopping for ingredients, preparing the food, and presenting it can be a fun family activity and may inspire some kids to be regular participants in the kitchen. Today, invite your child or children to take some time out from their schedule to bake up some terrific treats!

There’s a Lion in my Cornflakes

Written by Michelle Robinson | Illustrated by Jim Field

Who could resist clipping coupons to receive a free lion? Nobody, that’s who! I mean, it would be so cool, right? A lion to take on walks, ride to school, and open tin cans—awesome! So a little boy and his brother Dan take a year’s worth of their allowance, make “a million” trips to the grocery store, and start cutting.

Image copyright Jim Field, courtesy of jimfield.co.uk

But all those boxes of cereal squeeze out the other food on the pantry shelves, so Mom says the boys have to eat cornflakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until it’s gone—and, oh yeah, they don’t get an allowance until then either. It’s all worth it, though, because they’re going to get a real live lion.

There’s just one hitch—every other kid in town has the same idea, and while the brothers wait for their lion to arrive, everyone else is out playing with their new pet. Finally, the delivery truck pulls up in front of the house, and out walks…a grizzly bear?! That’s not right, and it’s even delivered to the wrong house. Well, the bear’s not too crazy about the situation either, and shows it. The kids and the bear have to clean up the neighbor’s yard and apologize.

Image copyright Jim Field, courtesy of jimfield.co.uk

A letter of complaint to the cereal company brings resolution in the form of…a crocodile?! The crocodile spends all its time in the bathroom, and the grizzly bear is still causing havoc. Dad calls the cereal company and to make up their mistake they send…a gorilla?! The gorilla stomps on Dad’s car and rips the door off, but the whole crew piles in so Dad can “give those cereal people a piece of my mind.”

The cereal people sure are sorry for the mix-up. They make amends by letting the family keep the grizzly bear, the crocodile, and the gorilla, AND the company gives them…a lifetime’s supply of cornflakes! But really, what good are they? The boys can’t walk them or ride them or even open cans with them.

You know what, though? Mom’s discovered the crocodile has some pretty sharp, can-opening chompers. The grizzly bear can walk forever and even wear a fanny pack. And the gorilla makes a very cool chauffeur. Why bother having a lion when everyone else has one?

But what are those cereal people offering now—a free tiger?! Hmmm….

Image copyright Jim Field, courtesy of jimfield.co.uk

Michelle Robinson has taken the lure of free stuff to its ridiculous best.With comical flair she aptly portrays the consternation on all sides, from the earnest kids to the flummoxed parents, that grounds this story in the recognizable while also providing hilarious suspense. The silly, over-the-top scenario of There’s a Lion in My Cornflakes serves up the benefits of individuality and drawbacks of consumerism that will have kids laughing at every page and escalation of the brothers’ problem.

Jim Field’s bold, vibrant illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this boisterous tale. The boxes of cornflakes and clipped coupons are piled high, the boys are excited, nonplussed, shocked, and finally accepting as day after day brings new and unexpected results of their actions, and the parents are perfectly perplexed. Kids will love the funny details on every page that highlight the story.

Ages 3 – 7

Bloomsbury Children’s, 2015 | ISBN 978-0802738363

There are books, games, and coloring pages galore on Michelle Robinson‘s website! 

Discover the vast array of work by Jim Field on his website!

While I take some personal days over the next couple of weeks, I am re-blogging some earlier posts with updated interior art and links.

There’s a Book Trailer in this Review!

Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day Activity

Spoon Lion Puppet

Spoons are just the thing for eating cereal! But with this craft you can make a ROARingly cute lion puppet!

Supplies

• Wooden mixing spoon
• Yellow Fleece
• Brown felt
• Colorful Fleece or felt
• Fabric glue
• Light brown marker
• Dark brown marker
• Hot glue gun or super glue

Directions

To make the lion’s face

1. Draw a nose, mouth, and eyes on the front/bowl of the spoon

To make the mane

1. Measure the rim of the spoon from one side of the handle to the other
2. Cut a strip of yellow fleece as long as rim measurement and 4 inches wide
3. Fold the piece of fleece in half long-ways
4. Glue the open edges of the fleece together
5. Along the folded side cut a fringe, leaving the loops intact

To make the ears

1. Cut round ears from the brown felt.

Assembling the lion

1. Glue the ears to the back of the spoon
2. Glue the mane to the back of the spoon

To make the bow

1. Cut a 3-inch x 1 ½-inch piece of colorful fleece or felt
2. Cut a long thin strip of fleece or felt
3. Pinch the bow in the middle and tie with the longer piece of cloth. Trim as necessary
4. Glue the bow to the handle

To make the tail

1. Cut three thin 4-inch-long strips of yellow fleece
2. With fabric glue, glue the tops of the strips together
3. Braid the strips
4. At the bottom, glue the strips together, leaving the ends free
5. Fold the top of the tail and push it into the hole in the handle of the spoon

Picture Book Review