Straw

In this peppy companion to Spoon and Chopsticks, bendable paper Straw, who “has a great thirst for being first,” delights in boasting to his friends when he empties his glass well before they can complete their innate tasks. “Done!” he brags, as a funnel, sand timer, and eyedropper, still plugging along, look on chagrined. But Straw discovers a downside to his competitive craze when he dives into a snow cone and eagerly slurps away, soon experiencing a “Brain Freeze!” that “did not feel good—not even one little bit.” A curlicue glass straw encourages Straw to slow down and savor, advice that Spoon reinforces: “Sometimes you just gotta stop and smell the milk shake!” The late Rosenthal’s trademark wordplay is on full display, as is Magoon’s flair for giving kitchen utensils personality through a revealing shift of googly eyes, a suspicious lilt of an eyebrow, a telltale curve of a mouth. Relaxing in a frozen drink, Straw delivers the tale’s final flip line: when Spoon asks him, “What’s shakin’?” he replies, “Just chillin’. And it’s strawesome.” Ages 3–5. [em]Agent: Amy Rennert, the Amy Rennert Agency. (Feb.) [/em]