Escargot

February 1, 2017
A charming little French snail takes center stage as it entices a child to share a meal.It's hard to imagine an escargot heading toward a salad as destined to be anything other than part of the dish, but this engaging snail upends convention. Escargot peeks around the edge of the front endpapers and invites readers to share the experience of "traveling to the salad at the end of this book." Close-ups of the big-eyed protagonist dressed in a jaunty blue-and-white striped shirt, red neckerchief, and black beret dominate the book. The last pages reveal the light-skinned child from whose visual perspective the story unfolds. Soft-edged, cartoonish illustrations in watercolor humorously emphasize Escargot's confident worldview. The first-person text encourages reading aloud with a French accent: "Oh la la!...Escargot is magnifique! You can kiss me if you want." Desperate to be readers' favorite animal (he doesn't seem to be for anybody else), Escargot even manages to explain away the slime as "shimmery trails of...shimmery stuff." As Escargot slides past quiche and brie, the race is on to see who can reach the salad--and that carrot--first. An unusual, tongue-in-cheek aid to getting children to eat a disliked food--even the dreaded carrot. (Picture Book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2017

PreS-K-Meet Escargot, a French snail, complete with black beret, striped shirt, and red kerchief. He is on a journey to the end of the book, where there is a delicious salad, "with croutons and a light vinaigrette." Escargot invites a child reader to join him and asks the child to name a favorite animal, before he shares "a very sad thing: Nobody ever says their favorite animal is the snail." Escargot uses his persuasive powers to challenge the reader to view his qualities in a new light and choose him as a favorite pet. For example, the trails he makes are "shimmery" instead of slimy, and his shyness masks a ferocity that he uses to scare away unwanted carrots in his salad. Once Escargot and the reader reach the salad, there's a dreaded carrot in it! Escargot suggests that "on the count of three we will take a very, very, very small bite of the carrot." The snail finds it surprisingly delicious (it's assumed that the reader might, too), and with panache, he declares the reader his favorite animal. With soft, muted colors and a charismatic main character, this title will win many fans. VERDICT A magnifique read-aloud that will charm and delight preschool audiences.-Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Grades K-2 Say bonjour to your new favorite animal, the garden snail! Escargot, wearing a chic beret, is very proud of his gastropod features, but he's forlorn that no one picks snails for their favorite creature. While making his way across a picnic toward a tasty salad, the snail makes pleasant conversation with the reader. While we are traveling, we can talk. Tell me, what do you think is my most beautiful part? Over the course of the journey, Escargot makes a powerful case for the value of the common snail, from their slimy trails ( more like shimmery trails of . . . shimmery stuff ) to their supposedly shy natures ( This is the face I make to scare a lion or a wild boar or a carrot that sneaks into my salad! ) to their slow pace ( A French snail likes to relax ). In Hanson's soft, cartoonish illustrations, Escargot's hammy expressions are perfectly in keeping with his gently boastful narrative. Give this charming read-aloud a little extra joie de vivre by reading it in your best French accent.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Peppy French snail Escargot--in a striped shirt, neckerchief, and beret--asks readers to help it reach a salad. While the interactive text creatively incorporates French words and snail facts--and encourages trying new foods (carrots)--the end twist is confusing. Pastel-colored, digital-looking illustrations with varied pacing and perspectives help the expressive invertebrate stand out.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)