Rate this book

Even Aliens Need Snacks (2012)

by Matthew McElligott(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0802723985 (ISBN13: 9780802723987)

languge

English

genre

Food & Cookbooks

publisher

Walker Childrens

review 1: Even Aliens Need Snacks is a cleverly written book about a young boy who enjoys creating interesting new food with the ingredients available in his Mom's kitchen. Despite his like for such foods as an eggplant, mustard, and lemonade smoothie, his Sister insists nobody else in the universe would eat the food he makes. To prove her wrong, the young boy sets up a food stand on the front lawn to serve his concoctions. It seems as though his Sister is right, until sometime during the night when a spaceship lands and aliens begin lining up at his food stand. They love each and every masterpiece he creates! From turnip-side-down cake to toothpaste soup, they can't get enough. Then he creates his biggest surprise yet, galactic pudding, using each and every one of his favorit... moree ingredients. Despite his best intentions, the aliens despise this new creation, and the boy realizes his Sister was right. "There really are some things no one else in the universe will eat." It's easy to understand how this book fits nicely with the fantasy/science fiction genre, as the pictures on the pages paint a vividly creative depiction of aliens of all shapes, sizes, and colors. One of the last pages in the book shows the boy's Sister sitting at the kitchen table reading the book, It Came From Mars, which might suggest the aliens were imagined in a dream the boy had after reading the book. As we've all done a time or two in our dreams, trying to imagine what a space alien might look like if we met one in real life is a certainly left to the imagination. This book plays on the imaginative minds of young readers everywhere. This book could be used as an excellent resource to introduce students to the Science Fiction genre and provide multiple approaches to expand on their understanding. The pictures in the book are not scary, but portray aliens in a variety of forms, which could lead into a discussion or activity relating to the use of imagination. Children could also follow the concept of the book and create a writing assignment based on a food they would like to invent and who might be interested in trying it. Though this book is geared toward younger elementary learners, I believe it could be effectively implemented in the upper elementary grades as well.
review 2: Even Aliens Need Snacks by Matthew McElligott is a science fiction book intended for readers N-P. It is a humorous tale of a young chef who is negatively critiqued by his family for his unique culinary concoctions. One night he meets aliens, who quickly become his best customers! The wit and humor of this story parallel the fun, futuristic illustrations, making it ideal for young readers. The last page is humorous in that, the 'galactic pudding' was the only dish unappealing to the aliens, but just so happens to be the dish his patronizing sister dines on! The plot is easily identifiable in that the boy simply wanted anyone, or anything, to enjoy his creations. The language of McElligott is simple and comprehendible. The illustrations complete the story. They are caricature drawings adorned with a simplistic color palette, not too drab or too bright. The page upon which the spaceship descends is delightfully the more colorful of the pages. Each alien corresponds to its favorite cuisine, which is quite comical. The first alien that enjoyed the mushroom iced tea had a head shaped like a mushroom, the alien that liked the Swiss cheese donut holes was round like a donut with holes in it, the alien that liked the turnip-side-down cake obviously was double sided turned upside down, and the alien that enjoyed the toothpaste soup was inevitably a creature with lots of teeth! It's an imaginative book that could easily conjure up further discussion by exploring what culinary creations the students would make and serve. It could also be an art lesson on food art, or science related on the ingredients in the food we actually eat. This book would appeal to young readers by featuring aliens which is always exciting and enjoyable. less

Download links for: Even Aliens Need Snacks

Advertising