The plot of this wacky tale can feel a bit jumpy at times, as it doesn’t focus specifically on any one character’s journey or emotional experience. It’s unclear, for example, exactly why Croodleman is happy again at the end, and famous art restorer Pierre Le’Toodle at first seems to have wandered in from another book. This randomness, however, proves one of the book’s strengths. Anyone who has listened to an elementary school kid tell a story knows they often dart from point to point and introduce characters and ideas that draw from multiple influences, so they will feel right at home visiting a “ramenoleum” station or Le’Toodle’s high-rise, paint-splattered studio.
Case’s colorful, action-packed illustrations help bring this zany world to life. The pictures show people zipping along in noodle-powered cars and admiring pasta-based artwork. They also show Croodleman defacing the art museum and Le’Toodle hard at work cleaning it up. The detailed, progressive illustrations feel a bit like reading a comic book–and Joseph’s enjoyably absurd, lively prose make this the type of bedtime story that will lead to equally entertaining dreams.
Takeaway: Joseph’s playful, imaginative, and unapologetically silly picture book imagines a noodle-powered future.
Great for fans of: Rowboat Watkins’s Rude Cakes, Rachel Dutton’s The Moose Who Loved Noodles.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+
Steven Joseph offers another bonkers tale in "Snoodles, kidoodles, poodles and lots and lots of noodles". With bright busy illustrations and an equally hyperactive story, this little book is fun, fun, fun.
But don't be deceived. As with all of Joseph's tales, this book represents an extended metaphor with a subliminal message, which just happens to be wrapped up in a hilarious tongue-twisting tale.
On the face of it, we meet a world that is full of "oodles". Cars that run on noodles, with virtually every character, car, or piece of art in this future world being a nod to that deliciously fragrant comfort food!
But simmering under the surface there is much, much more.
In an implicit but delightfully enjoyable way, Joseph's clever use of rhyming words teaches children to recognise the patterns and structures of language and hear sounds within words, building an understanding that words are made up of separate parts, supporting phonemic awareness.
He also creates countless opportunities for education. The comical Kidnoodle Lisa, followed by an equally amusing Kodoodle Noodle Poodle, allow for forays into the art world, while his clean running Snoodlemobile cleverly enforces a message of respect and responsibility for the environment, along with Joseph's repeated refrain "once upon a time in the (...) future, where the air was always clean, and the sky was always blue..."
Lastly, Joseph's reoccurring theme acknowledging 'crankiness', allows youngsters to recognise their own fluctuating emotions and take ownership and control of them.
Andy Cave's inventive artwork bolsters the words with colour and hilarity, bringing Joseph's characters to life and providing, even more, to talk about and explore.
A super book with much to recommend it, "Snoodles, kidoodles, poodles and lots and lots of noodles" is as much fun for the parent as it is for the child.
Snoodles, Kidoodles, Poodles and Lots and Lots of Noodles makes a fantastic read-aloud anytime you need a chuckle. While the words and sounds of the story may best suit a younger audience, older readers will enjoy it as well. Taking time to examine the illustrations will yield a richer understanding of the story and provide some additional levity.
Reading Snoodles, Kidoodles, Poodles and Lots and Lots of Noodles is sure to abolish anyone's crankiness!
Original, witty, and insightful… A charmer.
Crankiness is in full swing, wreaking havoc on people’s lives. When Herbie Snoodleman invents the SnoodleMobile, a car powered by noodles, happiness begins to spread its wings. But Sour Croodleman, the creator of the once-popular Kraut Mobile, hates the invention and seeks revenge on Herbie. Will he succeed? Joseph uses sauerkraut as a metaphor for crankiness, making it easy for young readers to understand the unpopularity of Sour Croodleman, and in doing so he implants a seed of a great idea—how irritability gets in the way of happiness—within a rollicking, entertaining narrative. The book’s theme is sober, but Joseph’s keen sense of humor keeps the story lighthearted and fun. The skillfully composed and wonderfully effective bright illustrations buzz with lively detail, bursting with wacky close-ups and character-building moments. Both text and art complement each other perfectly. The book is a clever primer on how crankiness affects people in general and how it can be managed by following some simple steps. A winner.
This delightful, colorful, and fantastical children's picture book by author Joseph is quite a treat for all of the senses. And this holds true for the youngest of young readers and those little ones to whom this delightful book is read. Moreover, the book will likely prove equally enjoyable to any adult choosing to share aloud this clever creation with its fun wordplay and rhyme as they watch smiles light up faces and listen to the giggles of their youthful audience. Featuring a cast of hilarious, over the top characters and set in a world where delicious noodles (of all kinds) are king, the sheer bold colors of artist Andy Case's illustrations accompany and enhance an already-splendid tale by Joseph in which whimsy seems the name of the game and silly yet clever wordplay entices, from the first imaginative page to the last. The author, who writes that his stories for children "lean on the concepts of crankiness and survival—which was ever-present in his childhood," excels at developing a quirky narrative, which proves to be nothing less than a fun, funny, and highly entertaining read. Joseph's colorful creation is a must for children and adults alike.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
"We are happy to award deserving books like Snoodles, Kidoodles, Poodles, and Lots and Lots of Noodles," said Dawn Matheson, CEO, Mom's Choice Awards. "Our panel of judges really felt this book merited a place on our list of the best in family-friendlyproducts that parents and educators can feel confident in using."
