Two For Stew - Hardcover

Laura Numeroff; Barney Saltzberg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689805713 ISBN 13: 9780689805714

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1996

Synopsis

A woman customer arrives at a restaurant, dreaming of a plate of the establishment's world-famous stew, but since a busload of Spanish tourists has just finished the last bit of stew, she must persuade the reluctant waiter to find someone to whip up a new batch, in a wacky tale in verse.

About this title

About the Author:

Salvatore Murdocca has written and illustrated close to one hundred books, including Christmas Bear and, more recently, Baby Wants the Moon. He also illustrated A Pig Tale by Olivia Newton-John. When not traveling, (Europe is a favorite destination), Mr. Murdocca lives in New York City.

From Publishers Weekly:

This giddy and sometimes campy salute to stew gives new meaning to the term "dinner theater." Intent on sampling Chez Stew's specialty, a woman and her white poodle will not accept a waiter's polite refusals ("There is no more stew,/ I'm sorry to say./ We do have some noodles,/ Will that be okay?"). The customer's demands escalate into an onstage fantasy sequence in which she and her dog float on angel wings, an all-chef chorus line brandishes cooking utensils and the garcon glides in with the desired dish. Finally, the waiter invites the persistent woman and her pet to hop on his motorcycle; they rush off to find his grandma, keeper of the stew recipe. (This guy better get a great tip.) Numeroff (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie) and Saltzberg (Where, Oh Where's My Underwear?) provide lilting stanzas throughout this mannered escapade, relaying it as an exchange conducted solely between the woman and waiter; curlicued, Art Deco typeface designates her voice, italicized text is his. Murdocca (Baby Wants the Moon) sets the scene in an idealized city. His precise, colorful watercolors suit the blocky urban architecture, while his people gesture in cartoony poses borrowed from Hollywood's glory days. Although the send-up of romantic comedy will probably be lost on young readers, this stew has flavor enough to sate an appetite for a good romp. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0689805713
• ISBN 13: 9780689805714
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Salvatore Murdocca