We Don't Eat Our Neighbors

March 25, 2024
In guileless line drawings that recall James Marshall’s style, Mahoney (Monstergarten) follows swamp-based alligator sibs Libby and Herbert as they move to a conventional human suburb. While their mother works to fulfill her dream to be a pastry chef and Libby makes friends, Herbert regards his classmates as tasty snacks. He nibbles and threatens more than he actually eats, but the siblings’ peers are nevertheless put off by his actions and his chilly, offhand words: “With a little pepperoni... anything can be pizza,” he muses, as drops of blood fall from a child attending Libby’s slumber party. Libby cringes at Herbert’s misdeeds as their schoolmates demonstrate with signs: “Don’t eat us!” Only when a neighbor (whose son Herbert is salting and peppering) reveals, “I just hired your mom to be head pastry chef at my bakery. She has amazing talent” does Herbert realize that his cravings might be the reason his mother won’t succeed, and he works to redeem himself on the soccer field. In this work of anarchic comedy that moves to a story of empathy, Herbert realizes that following his animalian nature will impact someone he cares about, prompting a transformation that relies, in part, on that loved one’s meeting him halfway. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–7.

May 1, 2024
A young alligator must learn to control his urge to eat people. Gator siblings Herbert and Libby move from the swamp to a suburban neighborhood when their mom gets her dream job as a pastry chef. They start wearing clothes, going to school, and even playing soccer. But Herbert has a big problem: He loves chowing down on people, and his classmates are so darn tasty! Herbert can't stop gnawing on kids' arms and legs. He just takes tiny nibbles, of course, but it makes him very unpopular. (His parents are vegetarians, and Libby is allergic, so she makes many friends.) When Herbert starts salting and peppering a boy who turns out to be the son of his mother's boss, he realizes that his actions have consequences--he doesn't want to ruin Mom's job! Herbert decides to change his ways, and he even finds a good alternative to eating people: Mom's human-shaped cookies. The title of this story may bring to mind Ryan T. Higgins' We Don't Eat Our Classmates (2018), which stars a lovable and equally destructive dinosaur who's also wrestling with temptations. While readers may chuckle, poor Herbert doesn't quite live up to the silliness of his dino counterpart, though the cartoon art does have an appealing, nostalgic, James Marshall feel. Human characters are diverse. Decent, if a bit derivative. (Picture book. 4-7)

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May 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 1-Siblings Libby and Herbert Alligator are polar opposites. Libby loves the mud and slimy stuff of the swamp, while Herbert prefers to keep things neat and tidy. Another major difference is Herbert loves snacking on people. That poses a problem when Libby and Herbert's mother gets a job as a pastry chef and the family has to move to a neighborhood full of people. Libby warns her brother that he shouldn't eat their neighbors, especially if he wants to play on the soccer team. The Alligator siblings do their best to adapt to their new school, but Herbert finds it hard to fit in. Unfortunately, after one too many incidents of him trying to snack on his classmates, they are avoiding him. Herbert soon realizes if he doesn't want to mess up his mom's new job or his time at school, he'll have to learn to not eat the neighbors. What at first is an amusing fish-out-of-water story with plenty of laughs turns out to be a story full of relevant life lessons about adapting to new environments, struggling to fit in, and learning self-control. With eye-catching, cartoonlike illustrations, and just a few sentences on each page, this book is a winning read-aloud sure to keep readers entertained. VERDICT A funny tale about an alligator boy learning not to eat his neighbors; perfect for the picture book shelves or even the etiquette section.-Myiesha Speight

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