By Daniel Bernstrom
Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
Katherine Tegen Books, 2016.
One day a happy little boy wanders through the jungle into the shade of a eucalyptus tree. He is quickly swallowed whole by a giant snake, but swiftly uses his wits to hatch an escape plan in the belly of the snake. What follows is a hilarious series of fellow belly-dwellers and an ending that will have little ones laughing.
The story is amusing and the illustrations skillfully charming, but it's the language that seals the deal in this book. Described by the publisher as a folktale that "combines the delightful feel of Kipling, the musicality of Peter and the Wolf, and the fun and delight of Simms Taback," Bernstrom utilizes rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and onomatopoeia to create a rollicking read-aloud sure to captivate children and adults alike!
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