February 19, 2018
When the humans go out for the evening, the vegetables in the fridge—along with the sweet potatoes in the bin—go wild. “Par-tay!” shouts the cabbage—which becomes the book’s refrain—and with the eggplant, basil, tomato, and Swiss chard on instruments, everybody else takes a turn on the floor. The baby limas, who can “barely stand at all,” try their best to do the wobble dance; the corn and arugula waltz; and the sweet potatoes, dressed in pink tutus, do pirouettes. Greenfield writes vivid verses, with breezy references to different dance styles and flashes of real comedy (“Somebody save me!” says the ecstatic asparagus after “doing the pop”). And while the repetition of “Par-tay!” adds crowd-pleasing fun and predictability, a new chant of “Go, ’Choke! Go, ’Choke! Go, ’Choke!” inserts some irresistible surprise. Except for the refined waltzing couple, all the vegetables share a happy-go-lucky, jazzy vibe. Tate’s big shapes, bold colors, and infectious beats will hold up to many readalouds. Ages 5–7. Author’s agent: Marie Brown, Marie Brown Assoc. Illustrator’s agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
April 1, 2018
PreS-Gr 1-This cool and fun-loving tale features anthropomorphic vegetables and fruits that sneak out of the refrigerator to "Par-Tay!" when their owners leave. As soon as the car pulls away, a jazzy ensemble, including Eggplant on piano, Basil on the bass, and Tomato on saxophone, begins to play, encouraging all the other friends to join in by dancing. Each vegetable or fruit has a unique personality, from the Hip-Hop String Bean who "[ripples] her arms, like waves in an ocean" to the "ever-patient" sweet potato sisters who "dance as sweet as pie." This will make an entertaining read-aloud since every other line rhymes and each spread ends with a different celebratory exclamation. Tate's illustrations capture the exuberance as well as the different personalities by giving each fruit and vegetable specific details, such as sunglasses, a backward turned baseball cap, or ruffled tutu skirts. After a wild night, the vegetables and friends do a slow dance back to the fridge, where they are happy to "relax in the delicious coldness." Greenfield concludes the story by answering the question, "What is a vegetable?" in four concise paragraphs. Plus, she provides a list of all the vegetables and fruits that appear in the story (nine of each type), but the health benefits of each are not discussed. VERDICT Young children will enjoy this pairing of healthy foods with the joys of dancing and music.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2018
Greenfield invites children to imagine what a fridge full of veggies might do once their people leave for the evening. They dance, of course--once Cabbage summons them forth as the family departs. Greenfield's beginning and ending passages are in free verse. In between, syncopated rhymes introduce the fruits and vegetables, many of whom take up instruments to "make a mighty music / for the party that's to come." After turns by Zucchini and Hip-Hop String Bean, "The baby limas wobble-dance, / can hardly stand at all, / their mamas run / and catch them, / the moment they start to fall." Next up: hot chili peppers and a stately waltz from Mr. Corn and Ms. Arugula. "Then, / the sweet potato sisters / dance as sweet as pie, / pirouette and flit / and flutter, / curtsy with a sigh." After working up a sweat, it's time to slow-dance back into the "delicious coldness" of the fridge, "(sweet potatoes to the bin)," all contemplating "their / fantabulous / PAR-TAY. / YEAHHHH." The gifted Tate's illustrations resemble loose, translucent watercolors contoured by wide, waxy lines. Aside from some pink tutus for the sweet potato sisters and Mr. Corn's neat mustache, the visual focus is on the veggies' hip exuberance rather than gender stereotypes.A rousing read-aloud begging for enthusiastic performers. (author's note, references) (Picture book. 3-6)
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September 1, 2018
Greenfield (winner of the 2018 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement and perhaps best known for her works about African American historical events, heroes, and heroines) shows in this zany, free-verse picture book that she takes fantasy and fun seriously. If you think cabbages and eggplant are only comestibles, think again about what the vegetables in your fridge might do when you go out: par-tay! From the piano-playing eggplant to the string bass-thumping basil, this band of crudit�s knows how to rock out. Regardless of how kids feel about asparagus or string beans, they will close this book with a new appreciation for what lands on their plates, thanks in part to a What Is a Vegetable? discussion and references in the back matter. (The answer is more complicated than kids?or you?might think.) The uneven rhythms and rhyme scheme and a few puzzling line breaks may make this a bit challenging to read aloud, but the fun is infectious. Tate's vibrant illustrations turn run-of-the-mill roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds into characters with vivacious personalities for this joyful story. michelle h. martin
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2019
Greenfield's zany, free-verse picture book will make you think again about what the vegetables in your fridge might do when you go out: "par-tay!" From the piano-playing eggplant to the string bassthumping basil, this band of cruditis knows how to rock out and the fun is infectious. Tate's vibrant illustrations turn run-of-the-mill veggies into vivacious personalities for this joyful story. A "What Is a Vegetable?" discussion is appended. Bib.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)