This fresh and funny story is about imagination coming to the rescue. Monsieur Saguette, on the way home from buying a baguette to eat with his soup, uses his imagination to help himself - and others - in times of need by transforming his ordinary baguette into something extraordinary!A cat up a tree? No problem once our humble hero wields his trusty, crusty baguette. An alligator on the loose from the zoo? A robbery? A stalled parade? No challenge is too great or too small for Monsieur Saguette and his amazing baguette.But what will happen when this unflappable Frenchman finds himself in danger?
Monsieur Saguette and His Baguette ANNOTATION Monsieur Saguette prevents many calamities from happening with the use of his trusty baguette. FROM THE CRITICS The Washington Post Asch's lively, loose-lined illustrations are full of humorous bravado. Kids will adore the endearing escapades, and adults may think twice before cutting down on carbohydrates.—Jessica Bruder Publishers Weekly "Not by bread alone," goes the old saying, but tell that to Monsieur Saguette, who needs only a skinny loaf of French bread-fresh from the boulangerie-to handle any size calamity with the coolness of le concombre. He prevents a fugitive alligator from making an amuse-bouche of a baby by turning the baguette into a wedge between the reptile's menacing jaws, and stops a robbery by fooling the rogue into thinking that the baguette is a gun in his back. And when the beret-clad hero ultimately finds himself in a French sewer, the baguette once more pulls through for him-this time, literally. Asch's (Ziggy Piggy and the Three Little Pigs) digitally rendered tableaux, with their slightly flattened perspectives, crisp outlines and muted colors, make the perfect deadpan foil for his sublimely silly tale, and almost every page has something laugh-out-loud funny: another improbable situation, a goofy punch line ("Gurgle, gurgle," says the sewer after Monsieur Saguette is extracted), a visual tickle (a spot illustration shows the baguette poking through the opening of the sewer, with the hero's quintessentially French neckerchief attached as a signal for help). Grown-ups may find themselves involuntarily emitting an "Ewww!" at the sight of Monsieur Saguette triumphantly consuming the battle-worn baguette at story's end. But youngsters won't bat an eye, and should proclaim, "C'est magnifique!" Ages 3-7. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Carolyn Mott Ford
A baguette is much more than a delicious crusty loaf of French bread in this fanciful tale of Monsieur Saguette's trip home from the bakery. Monsieur Saguette, a properly attired Frenchman in his beret and neckerchief, had prepared a pot of carrot soup before realizing he had no bread in the house. Soup without bread? Unthinkable. He hurries to the bakery, buys the long loaf of bread and then has many adventures as he returns home. Ah, but all the problems presented to him are solved only because he is carrying the baguette. A young girl's cat needs rescuing from a tree? Monsieur holds his baguette up and the cat climbs down. An alligator has escaped from the zoo and is about to eat a baby? Monsieur props open the alligator's jaws with the baguette until the zookeeper arrives. And so it goes. Monsieur Saguette is the hero of the day thanks to that loaf of bread. After arriving home and enjoying a lip-smacking meal of soup and bread, he tosses crumbs out to the birds. Has there ever been a more useful loaf of bread? The appealing illustrations are simple yet replete with humorous scenes of life in a French town. 2004, Corus Entertainment/Kids Can Press, Ages 4 to 8. School Library Journal PreS-Gr 1-In a series of highly improbable scenarios, Mr. Saguette performs daring feats-rescuing a stranded cat from a tree, foiling an attacking alligator and a robber, and escaping from a flooding sewer in the nick of time. In each instance, his trusty baguette provides a handy solution to the impending disaster. After the eventful walk home, Monsieur Saguette consumes his baguette with relish. For those who can suspend disbelief and see it for the spoof it is, this wacky tale with its kid-pleasing humor is sure to elicit giggles. Asch's computer-generated illustrations with their whimsical, flowing lines and soft pastel colors are the perfect accompaniment to this lighthearted romp through the streets of Paris. Bon appetit!-Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews When Monsieur Saguette purchases a baguette to eat with soup, a series of strange and appealing adventures interrupts his journey home. Time after time, Monsieur Saguette uses his baguette to come to somebody's aid: a kitten stuck in a tree, a baby menaced by a crocodile, and a stranded marching band. Eventually, Monsieur Saguette himself is rescued by using his marvelous baguette when he falls into a rapidly flooding sewer. Eventually Monsieur Saguette returns home and eats his marvelous baguette, apparently no worse the wear for its exposure to sewers and crocodile mouths. Affectionate illustrations marked by compelling touches of absurdity-a passing child walks his pet turtle while wearing roller skates-provide comforting silliness. Despite-or perhaps because of-the strangeness of Monsieur Saguette eating his baguette after everything that's happened to it, this is quite the giggle-inducer. (Picture book. 3-6)
|
