about the book
The title of king of the jungle belongs to the lion.
The great white shark is given the title of sovereign of the seas.
And the timber wolf is emperor of the forests.
But….it can get lonely at the top of the food chain, especially when everyone thinks they are just heartless killers. For example, the wildebeests call the lion “bad kitty.” Now that just hurts….
In order to gain some respect, the three predators at first try being vegetarians. That doesn’t work, as wolf seems to find a bunny hiding in every berry bush. It isn’t his fault the bunny doesn’t get out of the way when he bites down on the berries!
Plan B—disguise themselves as plant-eaters and mingle! This seems to work—for a while. Until the shark, disguised as a dolphin, accidentally takes a nibble at a dolphin in his adopted pod.
Just when they are about to give into despair, the lion, shark, and wolf are given some wise advice from a fellow carnivore, the great horned owl: they are carnivores! They should not be ashamed of who they are!
about the author
Aaron Reynolds says he grew up almost everywhere. His dad was in the Air Force, so he and his family moved around a lot—from Texas to Colorado, Florida to Okinawa, Japan, and New Jersey to Illinois. His parents weren’t really the artsy type of people, but they were supportive of his, shall we say, “passionate” ways. They encouraged him in music, theatre, and even cooking and writing.
Aaron went to Illinois Wesleyan University for Music Theatre, and then got a partial degree in Culinary Arts from Kendall Culinary School. This should tell you that he really liked cooking, but now as a writer he writes about cooking, and sometimes cooks while he’s writing…
Aaron’s favorite color is orange, and his favorite food is lasagna. The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders is his favorite book. He hates mint chocolate chip ice cream. Also losing his car keys.
Aaron lives in Fox River Grove, Illinois, with his wife Michelle, daughter Reese, son Ethan, four cats—Jak, Daxter, Mousie, and Frizle—and anywhere between zero and ten goldfish (depending on the day).
Sources:
Author website
Author interview : Writing Teazurs
Also by Aaron Reynolds:
Nerdy Birdy. Roaring Brook Press. September 2015.
Here Comes Destructosaurus! Chronicle Books. 2014.
Pirates Vs. Cowboys. Knopf Books for Young Readers. 2013.
Creepy Carrots!. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2012.
Snowbots. Knopf Books for Young Readers. 2010.
Superhero School. Bloomsbury USA Children’s. 2009.
Metal Man. Charlesbridge Publishing. 2008.
Buffalo Wings. Bloomsbury USA. 2007.
Chicks and Salsa. Bloomsbury USA. 2005.
about the illustrator
Dan Santat was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in California. He graduated with a bachelor’s in microbiology from the University of California San Diego.
Surprisingly, he turned right around and went back to school, this time to study illustration, and graduated with honors from the Art Center, College of Design.
Dan’s first work was as a texture artist, 3D modeler, and designer creating concept art for video games. Now he works as a freelance illustrator with a long list of clients. He is also a book illustrator and published author, and he just won the 2015 Caldecott Medal. He is the creator of “The Replacements,” a television animated series.
Dan lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, two children, a rabbit, a bird, and a cat. In his spare time, Dan likes to listen to music, watch movies, and play ice hockey.
Sources:
Illustrator website
Book Trailer : New York Media Works
Also by Dan Santat:
The Adventures of Beekle, the Unimaginary Friend. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2014.
Crankenstein Valentine by Samantha Berger. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2014.
Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz. Putnam Publishing. 2014.
Picture Day Perfection by Deborah Diesen. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2013.
Crankenstein by Samantha Berger. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2013.
Bawk & Roll by Tammi Sauer. Sterling Publishing. 2012.
Kel Gilligan’s Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2012.
Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz. Putnam Publishing. 2012.
Dog in Charge by K.L. Going. Dial. 2012.
Oh No! Not Again! : (Or How I Built a Time Machine to Save History) (Or at Least My History Grade). by Mac Barnett. Hyperion Press. 2012.
Fire! Fuego! Brave Bomberos by Susan Middleton Elya. Bloomsbury USA Children’s. 2012.
Tom’s Tweet by Jill Esbaum. Knopf Books for Young Readers. 2011.
Oh No! : Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World by Mac Barnett. Hyperion Press. 2010.
Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer. Sterling Publishing. 2009.
The Ghosts of Luckless Gulch by Anne Isaacs. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2008.
read more!
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds
Jasper Rabbit loves Crackenhopper Field carrots. It’s kind of a “the grass is greener on the other side” thing. He eats them going to school, going to Little League, and walking home! Then one day the carrots start following him…. Or are they?
It’s a Tiger! by David LaRochelle
Stay away from tigers! Well, that seems like a pretty easy thing to do, not sure why you would have to point—TIGER! For one little boy, avoiding tigers has become a top priority, as one particularly tenacious tiger has somehow found a way to follow him wherever he goes. Will the boy escape? Just in the nick of time? Every time?
Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham
Moose can’t wait to play his part in Zebra’s alphabet play. By the time Duck takes his turn with the letter D, Moose barges his way on stage. Over and over again as the various other letters appear, Moose messes up. By the time M gets around, Zebra decides to go with Mouse, and Moose throws a huge tantrum. Finally Zebra finds the perfect spot for him.