Take Me to Your BBQ

January 14, 2013
At home on the range, underneath glorious Western skies, a farmer named Willy is whipping up a modest dinner on his barbecue grill. The delicious smells attract a flying saucer filled with little green men whose endless demands for food and entertainment turn Willy from fearful (“Yippee ki-yi! Yippee ki-yay!/ I think they might take me away!”) to annoyed (“Those little fellas just won’t stop;/ I keep on fiddlin’ ’til they drop”) in short order. Clever Willy steals the aliens’ spaceship, takes it to a distant star (his route is mapped through a night sky gatefold that tips a cowboy hat to classic SF comic books), and opens up a hoedown-themed eatery that might just give Star Wars’ Mos Eisley Cantina a run for its money. Although Duval’s (The Three Bears’ Halloween) rhyming is rather literal, it doesn’t much matter. McCauley’s (June and August) midcentury-inspired renderings and handsome vintage palette (his use of teal and deep red is particularly impressive) convey all the cheeky eeriness that this farmer vs. aliens story needs. Ages 3–5. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

February 15, 2013
Many people boast that their barbecue is out of this world, but Willy's fine-smelling and lip-smacking meal attracts visitors from outer space. McCauley chooses a sweltering palette of yellow, brown and peach to cast the hardworking farmer on a hot Texas day. Observant readers will spot the flying saucer approaching as twilight falls. Soon, the inky black of space descends with the spaceship: "Some colored lights from outer space / Are lightin' up the whole dang place!" Here, pastel shots of color serve to spotlight the alarmed animals on the farm, while a sinuous, pale yellow, wavy band of smoke wafts through the scene. The amazing aroma has drawn the "small green men" out to sample the fare and dance a "DO-SI-DO...a-fore [they] go." They claim, "We don't want your leader, Willy, / Just your BARBECUE and chili." Duval chooses just the right amount of Texas twang to spice up the lively rhyming text. But soon, the aliens have taken over like unwanted party guests. They have had fun, wreaked some havoc and left the farm damaged. So Willy and his pet cat and dog board the UFO. A gatefold opens to show a map of their travels in space. The other side reveals the destination--a planet where various ET's are enjoying a meal and some music at Willy's new restaurant. The knee-slapping humor, retro feel of the illustrations and the included recipe for Willy's special sauce serve up some spicy preschool fun. (Picture book. 3-6)

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March 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-While tending his grill, an unsuspecting Willy is visited by "some colored lights from outer space," and three-eyed, little green men wearing spurs appear and apparently have a craving for some chili. With a knee-slappin' rhythm, the occasional hitch in the rhyme scheme, and a few too many gratuitous "yippee ki-yee's," Willy rustles up some grub and plays the fiddle till his guests drop. Then he pulls the ol' switcheroo and takes their ship for a ride. The final pages show Willy throwin' down at his very own BBQ joint on their home planet while the aliens tend his turnips. McCauley's illustrations use rich desert colors and comic proportions to play up the wacky story line. The recipe for "Willy's Out of This World Barbecue Sauce" might inspire a tasty food-themed program.-Jenna Boles, Washington-Centerville Public Library, OH

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2013
Grades K-2 Plumb tired after a heck of a workday, Willy's a-fixing to grill himself up some ribs when a flying saucer causes a ruckus by lowering over his desert shack. Cat's meowin', cow's a lowin'. / Dog's a-howlin', chicken's GLOWIN'! Out scampers a big mess of greenies three-eyed aliens drawn by that heavenly smell. We don't want your leader, Willy, / Just your barbecue and chili. Down the hatch go the ribs (the cowboy hat tastes pretty good with hot sauce, too), but while the greenies are stomping their boots along to Willy's fiddle, Willy sneaks aboard the ship and takes off across the galaxya three-page foldout tracks his progressto enjoy sweet success as the owner of Willy's BBQ on an alien planet. Duval has a darned good time mixing up a stew of western and sci-fi tropes, while McCauley marshals his watercolors into earth tones for the desert and pastels for the UFO lights. Occasional wordless spreads let readers bask in the goofiness, and a recipe for Willy's Out of This World Barbecue Sauce concludes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)