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If Roast Beef Could Fly: Book and CD |  |
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If Roast Beef Could Fly: Book and CD | |
The Tonight Show's Jay Leno draws on a true story from his childhood to make a generation of young readers laugh out loud.
Little Jay's mom is maniacally thrifty, his dad is extravagant, and little Jay always seems to be caught in the middle. So when Jay's dad decides that his next big "project" is going to be an ENORMOUS barbecue patio, the only way it's going to happen is if Jay, their neighbors, and Bruce, the laziest dog in America, help him out.
When the party to launch the patio arrives, there's more food than anyone could eat, and at the center is a HUGE roast beef that Jay would do anything to get a taste of. No one will notice if he sneaks a bite, will they? That is, until Jay's secret plan backfires!
What is Jay's secret weapon to sample a bit of the roast beef? Will he keep his dad from finding out? And finally, what could make a roast beef fly?
作者简介 Jay Leno is the host of the Emmy Award-winning and number-one-rated The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, celebrating its twelfth anniversary in May 2004. Leno is the author of Leading with My Chin (HarperCollins), his autobiography. This is his first book for children. Jay was born in New Rochelle, New York, and was raised in Andover, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Mavis, live in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys working on his collection of classic cars and motorcycles.
编辑推荐 Tonight Show host and bona fide household name Jay Leno tries his hand at writing children's books with this fun embellishment from his own childhood--a story of an effusive Italian father, a stingy Scottish mother, and a rotisseried roast beef gone airborne.
Many celebrities--and even some fellow comedians, like Jerry Seinfeld--have tried to write children??s books in recent years, all with varying degrees of success. Thankfully for Leno, his readily recognizable and affable voice keeps this effort above average, with plenty of help from S.B. Whitehead's playfully busy illustrations. Not unlike a Tonight Show monologue, though, If Roast Beef Could Fly relies more on delivery than substance: Leno??s trademark comedic style comes through clearly (right down to an asterisked aside to the audience: "Kids, don??t try this at home!"), but the story sometimes seems to sputter--albeit in that ingratiating Jay way--from one gag to the next.
Tonight Show fans (and hopefully their kids, too) will surely enjoy this personal glimpse into the late-night king??s early years, especially as Leno reads along with the included audio CD. Plus, If Roast Beef Could Fly also appears to clear up a long-standing question among serious Leno scholars: Yes, even as a child, his chin was just that big. (All Ages) --Paul Hughes
专业书评 From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–In this meager offering, a young narrator (a Jay Leno look-alike with short legs) describes his father, who likes to do things in a big way. Dad decides to build a patio complete with rotisserie, and the boy gleefully rides the wave of his enthusiasm. The narrative jumps from buying supplies to the advice of neighbors to the finished project and a final summer picnic. As a huge roast beef spins on the spit and everyone else goes inside, the boy is left alone with the "amazing spectacle." Touching the meat with his plastic comb, he licks the juices off it until it gets caught in the string around the beef and begins to melt. At the table, Dad tries to cut the roast, discovers the plastic, and throws the whole thing out the window, whereby it's caught in a flying leap by the dog. Fortunately, Dad's Italian relatives have brought "several different tons of food" and Dad, undefeated, is already dreaming up his next project. This book is mired in excess. The disjointed text relies on exaggeration to hook readers. Every scene is so over the top both visually and verbally that there's no subtlety of characterization or meaningful introspection. The garishness of the narrative is matched by the full-color, Mad Magazine-like illustrations where people appear as larger-than-life caricatures. Some youngsters may be carried along on the crest of this wave. More insightful readers will recognize the ensuing emptiness. A CD of Leno reading the story is included.–Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
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