White

Kelly A. White (#218692930)

Professor Amy Anderson
ENG 116B Childrens Literary Classics
1 March 2016
Childrens Book Review: The Watermelon Seed
With simplistic yet vivid imagery, author-illustrator Greg Pizzoli uses humor and
imagination to dissuade childrens irrational fears that swallowing a seed will cause a
watermelon to grow inside them. What begins as a happy-go-lucky tale soon turns sour when the
lead character accidentally swallows a watermelon seed during his voracious snack. From the
front jacket flap (Have YOU ever swallowed a seed?) to the very last page, the drawings
capture the crocodiles emotional roller coaster and his journey from crazy obsession to
worrisome angst to contemplation and back again. Pages filled with bright pink, green, and black
immediately conjure memories of delicious, juicy watermelons, andlike the crocodiles
infatuation with the fruitparents likely will relate to a little ones fixation with a particular
food, friend, or plaything. Readers may also connect to the notion of swearing off a favorite food
after one too many indulgences, only to be tempted back again. This 2014 Theodor Geisel Award
winner is perfect for beginning readers; the basic vocabulary is flanked by plenty of negative
space to motivate kids to read and encourage comprehension. Younger children, too, will enjoy
the colorful pictures and comical storyline, which begs to be read aloud to emphasize the clever
onomatopoeia throughout. Page by page, readers can predict the outcome but still anticipate
whats coming next. What will happen to the crocodile? Will vines grow from his ears? Will his
stomach stretch? Will he ever eat another melon again? Only time will tell.

Pizzoli, G. (2013). The watermelon seed. New York: Disney Hyperion.