Module Two- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Judi and Ron Barrett

Barrett, Judi & Ron. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. New York: Atheneum, 1978.

Summary

Grandpa, inspired after accidentally flipping a pancake right onto Henry's head, makes up the best tall-tale ever for Henry and his sister's bedtime story. The story features the tiny town of Chewandswallow which at first glance appears to be like any other town. Chewandswallow has a Main Street, houses with trees, a schoolhouse, but what really sets it apart is the weather. In Chewandswallow, the rain, wind, snow- all the weather- is made of food! The citizens of Chewandswallow never have to buy food, they simply eat whatever falls out of the sky. One day, the food starts getting bigger and bigger. The food eventually gets so large, it threatens to destroy Chewandswallow so the entire town is evacuated by using giant pieces of stale bread as boats. The people make it to a small coastal town where their lives resume as normal except getting used to buying food at a grocery store is tricky. In the end, no one ever returns to Chewandswallow to discover what happened. By the time this tall-tale is over, both Henry and his sister are fast asleep and can't remember the ending, but when they go out to play in the snow the next day, they can almost smell mashed potatoes.

Impressions

I recently saw the movie adaptation of this book and thought it was hilarious. I never read the book as a child so I decided this was the perfect opportunity to go back and read it. While the book and movie differ greatly, the are both charming and children find them interesting. I love the idea of food falling from the sky instead of rain or snow. This book is highly creative and perfect at stretching the imagination.

I liked how the illustrations are black and white until the story of Chewandswallow begins. Afterwards, even when the children go back to normal life, there is still come color in the artwork.

Reviews
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010 from Barnes and Noble, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cloudy-with-a-Chance-of-Meatballs/Judi-Barrett/e/9780689707490/?itm=1&USRI=cloudy+with+a+chance+of+meatballs.

"Who wouldn't love to walk outside to find that it had rained maple syrup and pancakes or snowed mashed potatoes with warm butter on top? Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs does more than capture a child's imagination, it runs with it. This books is a must for all the children (and adults) who still hope that it is possible for something completely fantastic to happen."

Christina, Pomoni. 2010. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Retrieved September 11, 2010, from Helium.com.

"There are a lot of things in the book that actually make it a children's classic. Written in a neat and charming way, the book features innovative ideas and writing. This book is so easy to read that children may read it by themselves. Ron Barrettt's excellent illustrations are detailed and vivid. To my view, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a hymn to creativity."

Suggestions for Library Use

The possibilities for using this book in a story time for older elementary aged children are endless. It would be great in a storytime about real weather (climate, seasons, etc.), foods, tall-tales, useful inventions, etc.