One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Author: Dr Seuss
Back in 1957, Theodor Geisel responded to an article in Life magazine that lamented the use of boring reading primers in schools. Using the pseudonym of "Dr. Seuss" (Seuss was Geisel's middle name) and only two hundred twenty-three words, Geisel created a replacement for those dull primers: "The Cat in the Hat." The instant success of the book prompted Geisel and his wife to found Beginner Books, and Geisel wrote many popular books in this series, including "Hop on Pop," "Fox in Socks," and "Green Eggs and Ham." Other favorite titles in this series are "Go, Dog, Go!" and "Are You My Mother?" by P. D. Eastman, "A Fly Went By," by Mike McClintock, and "Put Me in the Zoo," by Robert Lopshire. These affordable hardcover books combine large print, easy vocabulary, and large, bright illustrations in stories kids will want to read again and again. Grades 1 - Grades 2.
Pinkalicious
Author: Victoria Kann
Pink, pink, pink. More than anything, Pinkalicious loves pink, especially pink cupcakes. Her parents warn her not to eat too many of them, but when Pinkalicious does . . . she turns pink! What to do?
This sparkling picture book, filled with such favorites as pink bubble gum, pink peonies, pink cotton candy, and pink fairy princess dresses, celebrates all things pink while showing that being yourself is best of all.
Children's Literature
There is only one word to describe this title—"readalicious!" Capitalizing on a love for all things pink, this ode to that rosy hue is exuberant with illustrations that dance off the pages and colors that seem to be entities in and of themselves. Our heroine, a young girl who adores pink, indulges in one too many of her mother's delicious pink cupcakes. The result is that her entire body turns lusciously pink. "I'm Pinkerbelle!" she exclaims with delight. Her mother drags her off to the pediatrician who proclaims that she must eat green foods to counteract all "that pink." Of course, "Pinkerella" eats "just one more" pink cupcake and arises the next day to discover that she has gone past pink to startlingly bright red. After consuming everything green she can find, she is transformed back to her usual color. As she is hugging her mother in happiness, her dad inquires "What happened to the rest of the pink cupcakes?" and that is when the younger brother leaps out yelling "Pink-a-boo!" Needless to say he is now as pink as raspberry sherbet. Mixed media, including collage and the use of real items like doilies and other odd-a-ments, bring this humorous romp of a book colorfully to life. This title will make a great springboard for discussions about how skin color affects all of our lives, both in reality and in people's imaginations. What color would one choose to be? There are lots of possibilities at multiple levels.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-Pinkalicious eats so many pink cupcakes that she wakes up the next morning with pink skin and hair. The color just won't wash off, and the doctor diagnoses her with Pinkititis and tells her to eat green food to get better. Still, when her parents aren't looking, she sneaks just one more treat-and turns red. Startled, she starts to choke down her veggies and finally returns to normal. When everything seems okay, Daddy asks what happened to the other cupcakes, and Pinkalicious's little brother bounds into the room with one in hand, happily showing off his new pink skin. The final "Pink-a-boo!" is sure to garner smiles. The computer-generated collage pictures are bold and appealing and will draw readers into the story. Although the main character is a bit obnoxious, children will be amused by her obsession with pink sweets. Reminiscent of David Shannon's A Bad Case of Stripes (Scholastic, 1998), Kann's lighter confection is a pink lover's dream come true.-Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WI
Kirkus Reviews
A girl with a passion for pink discovers that the monochromatic life may not be a bed of roses after all. Much like Roald Dahl's Violet, this little girl doesn't know when to say enough, as she over-indulges in the pinker-than-pink cupcakes she and her mother have made. Even when she awakens to discover she is a vivid pink hue, the girl is delighted. However, when her continual consumption of the pastry results in her color deepening to a red, she knows she must listen to her doctor and consume the antidote of-what else-green foods. Kann's snappy prose is filled with subtle puns and jokes-the girls calls herself "pinkerella" and "pinkerbelle"-to keep astute readers chuckling. The tale is over the top enough to engage older readers while the younger set will be fascinated by the thought of becoming their favorite color. Kann's computer-enhanced, full-color illustrations are a continuation of the zaniness. Bold colors and collage-style accents create a surreal landscape in which a child turning pink seems to be almost normal. (Picture book. 5-8)
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