REVIEW: HAPPY NATIONAL BANANA DAY

In honor of this very special holiday, I bring you TWO fabulously funny (companion) picture books about bananas! Here is a little bit about the first:

​TITLE: COUNTING TO BANANAS: A MOSTLY RHYMING FRUIT BOOK
AUTHOR: Carrie Tillotson
ILLUSTRATOR: Estrela Lourenço
PUBLISHER: Flamingo Books/2022
OPENING LINES: 
1 plum
2 figs
3 oranges
4 pigs
“Wait a minute. Pig’s aren’t fruit!
“True. But no other fruit rhymes with figs.”

​Banana is excited about the prospects of being the star of a fruit counting book, but as more animals are added for the sake of the rhyme, he wonders if it will ever be his turn. Readers will love the comedy that ensues when Banana becomes less patient and more argumentative with the narrator. Elstrela Lourenço’s bright, expressive illustrations perfectly capture Banana’s lively personality, and Carrie Tillotson’s humorous text will keep kids begging you to turn the page. Highly recommend!

Read this review on Goodreads and Amazon.
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And, here’s a little about the follow-up book:

​TITLE: B IS FOR BANANAS: A GOING BANANAS ALPHABET BOOK
AUTHOR: Carrie Tillotson
ILLUSTRATOR: Estrela Lourenço
PUBLISHER: Flamingo Books/2023
OPENING LINES: 
A is for awake
B is for bedtime 
“But I don’t want to go to bed! How about B is for Ba-na-na?”
“Sorry. This is a bedtime book.”

Banana is back in this bedtime book, but he does NOT want to go to bed! He keeps changing the ABCs to reflect “awake” activities, hoping to avoid going to sleep. Comical hijinks follow as Banana and the narrator argue their way through the alphabet. I love this sequel as much as the first, from the colorful and expressive art to the humorous antics and banana puns. Both Banana books by Carrie Tillotson and Estrela Lourenço belong on every kid’s bookshelf! 
 
Read this review on Goodreads and Amazon.
 
Did you read and like these books? 
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