Milk Goes to School

Border’s shtick goes on far too long for readers to want seconds of Milk and Waffle. (Picture book. 4-8)

Copyright 2016 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.

Border returns with a pun-filled school-day drama, featuring the photographic dioramas he used in Peanut Butter & Cupcake and Happy Birthday, Cupcake! Milk--a carton of strawberry milk with wire limbs, a pink bow, and a glittery backpack--is starting school, but she's having trouble making friends, especially with Waffle, who repeatedly insists that she is "spoiled." Border packs the story with culinary wordplay (classmate Peanut "wanted to be the first astro-nut on Mars"), which will induce chuckles or groans depending on readers' temperaments, and there's much to enjoy in the school setting he's constructed, where bent spoons serve as chairs and Goldfish crackers swim in the aquarium. But the story has little momentum, moving from one loosely connected vignette to the next, resulting in a rushed reconciliation among Milk and her classmates. Ages 3-7. (June)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2--Following the success of Peanut Butter and Cupcake and Happy Birthday, Cupcake!, Border returns with the latest entry in his cuisine-inspired series. Milk tries to make friends on the first day of school by sharing her best crayons with Carrot, offering to get Celery a new raisin, and asking Cupcake to sit next to her. Despite her efforts to be friendly, Milk is prone to boasting and snobbery and is soon labeled as "spoiled" by her classmate, Waffle, for her haughty attitude. This eventually leads to her being ostracized by the rest of her class. But when she accidentally slips on Banana's peel and temporarily becomes a puddle on the floor, her classmates recall the title character's kindness and Milk finally admits that she has been acting a bit spoiled. By the end of the book, Milk finds her way back into her carton and has some new friends, including Waffle. As with his previous works, Border manipulates and photographs three-dimensional objects to create his strange assortment of food-related characters, resulting in uniquely stylized and creative illustrations. Several clever food-themed gags are sprinkled throughout, providing plenty of giggles. Though this is a seemingly silly story, its themes of friendship, bullying, and fitting in still ring true. VERDICT A quirky read-aloud with offbeat humor and fun images that young readers will appreciate. A good choice to address the challenges of making new friends at school.--Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for Terry Border's picture books:

Milk Goes to School

"A quirky read-aloud with offbeat humor and fun images that young readers will appreciate. A good choice to address the challenges of making new friends at school."—School Library Journal

Happy Birthday, Cupcake!

"As in his earlier picture book, Border's characters are skillfully crafted food items with basic wire limbs arranged in simple landscapes....Preschoolers will be delighted with the visual mayhem."—Kirkus Reviews

Peanut Butter & Cupcake

"Border's witty food comedy will lure children who are hungry for clever visual entertainment."—Publishers Weekly

"[Z]any creative photographs. [A] read-aloud hit."—School Library Journal