Phil Pickle - Hardcover

Kenny Herzog

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1441319336 ISBN 13: 9781441319333

Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, 2016

Synopsis

Phil Pickle lived in a pickle jar and was meant to share the same fate as all the other pickles he lived with -- next to a burger and fries on a plate. But Phil Pickle is like no other pickle you've ever seen: He's got big dreams and big-time aspirations of becoming an actor! Will Phil become the next big dill?

• Ages 4 to 8.
• Hardcover picture book with dust jacket.
• Fun and quirky full-color illustrations throughout.
• 8-3/4 inches wide by 11-1/4 inches high.
• 40 pages.

Author Kenny Herzog grew up in Demarest, New Jersey. When he isn't writing about adventurous pickles, he's directing television commercials and short films. He lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with his wife and three children. This is Kenny's debut children's picture book.

Illustrator Kelly Canby was born in London, England, but has lived in Australia since the grand old age of three, which is probably about the same age she started playing with pencils and crayons. And it was probably only a few years after that when she decided that playing with pencils and crayons was something she wanted to do for the rest of her life!

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2—Phil is a pickle and spends his life in a jar with his peers, who are waiting to be chosen to sit with a burger and fries. However, Phil has ambitions; he wants to be an actor and pretend to be "different characters with unique and interesting lives." To the disbelief of the sour pickles, Phil lands an audition for a commercial about laundry soap. As his big moment arrives, Phil is overwhelmed with self-doubt. "I can't act. I'm nothing but a glorified condiment." The audition is pretty comical. The director shouts, "Cut!" after Phil utters the first line, telling him he was acting too upset. "It's just a mud stain on your shirt. It's not like you had to flush your goldfish down the toilet." Phil tries again, with a little ad-libbing. But the director yells, "Next actor," and Phil feels as if "he's been run through a deli slicer." He dejectedly returns to his fellow pickles, only to learn that he has been chosen for the role. Phil becomes an inspiration for the whole grocery store. This story may seem like a bit of briny fluff, but the message is a great one: follow your dreams and do not let sour pickles dissuade you. The illustrations are large and funny, with great color contrast and perspective. The text is witty and punny, with some references to acting stereotypes that may escape younger children. VERDICT This is a sweet/sour selection that storytime listeners should relish. Recommended as a general purchase for most libraries.—Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME

About this edition

• Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1441319336
• ISBN 13: 9781441319333
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Kelly Canby