A Pizza with Everything on It

by Kyle Scheele, Andy J. Pizza (Illustrator)

Overview

One father-son duo make a pizza so delicious, and so over-the-top with toppings, that it destroys the universe—and will surely melt readers' minds and hearts, like warm mozzarella.

It's a tale as old as time: a kid wants to make a pizza with his dad, but not just any pizza . . . he wants a pizza with everything on it. That's right, everything. But as the toppings pile on, this father-son duo accidentally create a pizza so delicious, so extravagant, so over-the-top, that it destroys the universe—and the cosmos go as dark as burnt crust. Will anyone enjoy pizza ever again? At turns heartwarming, hilarious, and completely out of this world, Kyle Scheele and Andy J. Pizza deliver a riotous adventure that will melt readers minds and hearts and leave them calling for a second helping.

• FATHER'S DAY GIFTING: This heartwarming and hilarious portrait of a memorable father-son bonding experience is the perfect way to show appreciation to the tough-to-buy-for dad all year round, and especially on Father's Day!
• FOOD-THEMED HILARITY: A mouthwatering and laugh-out-loud funny story of culinary catastrophe! This book is for fans of food-themed classics like Green Eggs and Ham, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
• ELEMENT OF CHAOS: Starting with something as relatable as pizza toppings, and culminating in the destruction of the universe, the escalating silliness is literally out of this world. For anyone who loves books that celebrate the absurd and chaotic, like Dragons Love Tacos or Llama Destroys the World.
• TIMELESS QUALITY: A classic family-bonding moment—making pizza—leads to memorable father-son adventure, with a heartwarming and satisfying ending ensuring countless rereads.
• PIZZA: Universal and delicious.

Perfect for:
• Anyone who likes pizza
• Anyone looking for Father's Day gifts
• Fathers looking for a lighthearted book to share with their kids
• Fans of the absurd, chaotic, and hilarious
• Foodies and their children
• Anyone looking for wholesome family stories about family bonding
• Fans of Dragons Love Tacos and Llama Destroys the World

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797202815
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	392,769
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kyle Scheele is an artist, author, and professional speaker who travels across the country using storytelling to inspire and motivate people of all ages. He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with his family. Learn more at www.kylescheele.com.

Andy J. Pizza is the acclaimed illustrator behind the popular podcast Creative Pep Talk, and the author-illustrator of many books for children and adults. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his family. Learn more at www.andyjpizza.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/08/2021

What do pizzas and cosmology have in common? A lot, according to this appealing treatise by Scheele (We Put a Man on the Moon, for adults) and Pizza (Dream Machine). Dad, the pale-skinned owner-chef of Papa Za’s, has agreed to make his peach-skinned kid, who narrates, “a pizza with everything on it.” But the child isn’t satisfied with the usual ingredients, and as Dad becomes an avid co-conspirator, gouache, pencil, and digital collage art plays along, mixing the stylings of kids’ artwork with the giddy, gravity-defying excess of vintage underground comics. Soon the pizza toppings include not only ice cream cones and an entire turkey, but school supplies, the White House, a particle accelerator, a wheelbarrow full of penguins, and more. A calamitous, voracious pizza black hole results—“as black as burnt pizza crust,” the protagonist notes, as two sets of eyes peer out of the vortex—but a “pizza big bang” (“BOOM!”) reboots the universe and returns the duo back home, sort of. It’s catnip for pizza’s many fans, and something more: a joyful tribute to a parent and child who are two peas in a pod within a wide universe of families and pizzas. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio. Illustrator’s agent: Katherine Latshaw and John Cusick, Folio Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"[A Pizza with Everything on It is] catnip for pizza's many fans, and something more: a joyful tribute to a parent and child who are two peas in a pod within a wide universe of families and pizzas."-Publishers Weekly

"The book is lighthearted in tone, while expertly depicting the bond between father and child. The bulbous, cartoony illustrations complement the zany plot. . . . Vast spreads and deep, saturated hues strike a vibrant contrast in the fantastical outer space scenes. Deliciously absurd, serve this tale to readers looking for fun and ­hilarity."-School Library Journal

"[A] delightful collaboration. . . [T]he sheer joy of Pizza's illustrations becomes palpable in a savory series of tomato-saucy full-bleed spreads that capture the majesty and scope of a new universe made of pizza. . . . Scheele's hilarious concept and Pizza's endearing pencil-and gouache art. . . capture some real heart in the father-son relationship. And what is pizza, really, but the great connector? Its power is on full display here, and a brilliant case cover mimicking a pizza box hidden underneath the book jacket is the cherry on top of this savory screwball romp. Delicious."-Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

02/01/2021

K-Gr 2—A seemingly innocent request for a "pizza with everything on it" turns into an adventure that tests the limits of taste and space time for the owner of a pizza shop and his child, who narrates. At first the duo, both white, adds typical ingredients to their pie like cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. Unsatisfied with the basics, the child insists that they use everything. Dad begins adding unconventional foods to top the pizza: pickles, an ice cream cone, and an entire turkey. Still, the child demands everything and the indulgent father complies with increasingly ridiculous toppings from a blender to the White House. This culinary calamity cannot sustain itself and transforms into a pizza black hole. The innovative chefs are pulled through a vortex in which everything is made of pizza, but happily land back into their shop albeit with a new cheesy landscape. Even as the situation careens out of control, the pair face the unknown together. The book is lighthearted in tone, while expertly depicting the the bond between father and child. The bulbous, cartoony illustrations complement the zany plot. White space and muted colors are effectively employed at the story's mundane start. Vast spreads and deep, saturated hues strike a vibrant contrast in the fantastical outer space scenes. VERDICT Deliciously absurd, serve this tale to readers looking for fun and hilarity.—Sophie Kenney, Aurora P.L., IL

School Library Journal