MMM, Cookies!

The creators of Alligator Baby and Andrew's Loose Tooth again rely on hyperbole to make the narrative and visuals tick in this slim one-joke tale. The paper-over-board volume stars Christopher, who makes two ""cookies"" out of red clay and gives one to each of his parents. As they bite into the inedible confections, their eyes bulge, their faces turn scarlet and they utter identical sentiments: ""YUCK! PWAH! SPLICHT! PLAY CLAY! GLA-GLA-GLA-GLA!"" Such sound effects and a good deal of repetition make Munsch's narrative a quick and sprightly read-aloud. When Christopher's parents make a phone call informing the boy's teacher of his prank, she makes a similar cookie and gives him a taste of his own deception, after which the entire class bakes up an authentic, gigantic cookie to deliver to Christopher's parents. Martchenko's brassy, over-the-top watercolors overflow with silly images, such as Christopher's dog biting big chunks out of the kitchen cabinet, the boy and his classmates creating colorful chaos as they mix up the batter and the children and a menagerie of animals feasting on the final (real) oversized cookie. A light morsel. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)