Kitchen Disco, Book 1

March 15, 2017
The banana acts as DJ for a crazy dance party that happens nightly, involving all the fruit in the kitchen.While your family sleeps, there's a party going on. It's a -pumping jumping funky bash.- The fruit all jump out of their bowl (-Parrtaay!-) and dance. Each fruit has its own personality and dancing style. The banana, in charge of the music, also spins and jumps and, of course, does splits. The lemons love to rap and break dance. The coconut is a clown, diving into the sink full of suds for a bubble bath. A bouncy tangerine spins so much that all her juice comes out. The shades-wearing pineapple is very cool; his hair is spiked, and he hangs out by the microwave. -The grapes are such a silly bunch, they boogie in a conga!- With their big fat bottoms, pears groove across the floor. And when the kids (a white brother and sister) wake up and check it out, they're glad to join the party. Foges' rhyming text includes several cute puns, and Murphy's heavily outlined, colorful illustrations are busy and bright. Sound effects and dialogue in speech bubbles (-Uh-oh...- / -Busted!-) add to the fun. Readers can visit the book's website to hear the song and watch a video that accompanies the book, though it's a disappointment the book features many more verses than the online performance. Cute and catchy. (Picture book. 3-5)

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July 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-"At night when you are sleeping/there's a party in your house." And of course that party is an amazing fruit dance off! The lemon break-dances, the banana spins records, and the grapes start a conga line. But this title isn't meant to be read so much as it's supposed to be sung! The beginning of the book lists a website that offers an animated video of all of the characters and the actual melody to the song, which gives off a hilarious early 1980s hip-hop vibe. Much like the early "Pete the Cat" series or the new Eric Litwin books, this volume works even better when paired with the actual music, and readers can easily follow along to the beat. But the melody and lyrics of "Kitchen Disco" are slightly more complex; kids and adults will still be jumping and dancing around in excitement, but they will have difficulty singing along in a storytime setting. A creative storyteller will be able to come up with ways to incorporate the audience, but the author doesn't leave clear moments for participation, which feels like a missed opportunity. The illustrations are simplistic, and sharp, fat lining and blinding color add to the wild atmosphere and experience. VERDICT A fun and funky addition guaranteed to get storytime kids moving.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

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