The New York Times Book Review - Carolyn Juris
Dan Santat's animation background—he created the Disney television series The Replacements—manifests in his wild-eyed, mixed-media illustrations, which look as though they could bound right off the page and onto the screen. Reynolds…here takes a turn for the dark—and then goes darker still…This is no sweet story of finding one's muse or looking beyond appearances; instead, Carnivores puts a somewhat macabre spin on the "follow your heart" theme, and it also imparts a corollary: "Listen to your stomach."
From the Publisher
"An irreverent, toothsome tale championing self acceptance."—Jama Kim Rattigan, Alphabet Soup Blog
“Will be a favorite for rowdy read-alouds… chuckle-inducing from cover to cover.”-School Library Journal
"The underlying theme for young readers, of course, is being yourself and accepting who you are."—Reading Today
“Will young readers swallow such a tongue-in-cheek take on the importance of self-acceptance? With relish.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Irreverent and decidedly Darwinian humor pioneered by the likes of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith … spoofing everything from foodie trends to self-actualization.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Kirkus Reviews
Poor carnivores, perched atop the food chain and dissed by all their victims--at least, the prospective ones. What a pity. Brought together by their hurt feelings, a lion ("The wildebeests call him ‘bad kitty' "), great white shark ("simply a fast eater") and timber wolf ("almost never eats little girls") take up vegetarianism in an effort to fit in and then try donning disguises. When neither strategy butters the biscuit, they turn to a great horned owl as a carnivore consultant. Proving himself as wise as he (later) is delicious, the owl leads them to a healthier attitude, to wit: "I'm not bad. I'm a carnivore. Eating meat is just what I do." Surrounded by pastel bunnies and other wide-eyed prey in Santat's big, comical illustrations, the three caricatured predators quickly go from slump-shouldered gloom to toothy, confident smiles as they realize the folly of judging themselves through the eyes of others. Will young readers swallow such a tongue-in-cheek take on the importance of self-acceptance? With relish. (Picture book. 6-8)
