Aaron Blabey, Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, Scholastic, 1 September 2015, 24pp., $16-99 (hbk) ISBN 9781743625781
This new picture book by award winning author and illustrator Aaron Blabey is full of fun and mischief. The plot is simple: Brian the piranha wants to introduce fruit and vegetables into the diet. His piranha friends try to remind him they don’t eat such things as peas and beans at all and definitely no fruit, however, Brian won’t give up until they have all tried his fruit platter. Of course they devour it – as piranhas would – and they agree it’s very nice, but, after all, they still prefer chewing on humans.
The large, bold text is perfect for reading aloud while the rhyming couplets on a white background make it easy to read. The simple and expressive pen and pencil illustrations mostly in the bright primary colours of greens, blues and yellows add to the wit and fun. From the front cover to the yellow endpapers this book will make 4 to 10 year olds giggle with delight.
Reviewed by Grace Nolan
