OODLES AND OODLES OF NOODLEY NOODLES
by Cindy Ninni Grant ; illustrated by Katie Weaver
Grant’s rhyming picture book introduces kids to various pasta varieties.
Charli is a young girl who can’t get enough noodles. Clad in a tutu with her hair in wild, noodle-y blond curls, she declares, “I do not care what goes on top! Just don’t let the noodles stop!” The scenes alternate between relatively realistic and whimsical as Charli lassos her younger brother with fettucine, shreds on a linguine-strung guitar, and has a fusilli food fight with family. On ravioli-shaped pillows, Charli dreams of noodles dancing, and the silliness continues as Charli cleans outs the shelves in a grocery store’s pasta aisle. Overall, this is a lighthearted, hyperbolic read-aloud. It offers plenty of pasta terminology throughout, with Charli’s doll sometimes helpfully holding up a pronunciation guide; the rhyme scheme is well maintained throughout. The story ends with Charli asking to share her noodles with the reader, followed by a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs and a glossary of noodle shapes. Weaver’s cute, full-color illustrations features some airbrushed details that look a bit muddy, but this doesn’t affect the whimsy. Charli is depicted in the illustrations as White, and secondary characters have a range of skin tones.
A raucous tale for young noodle enthusiasts.