World Pizza

by Cece Meng, Ellen Shi (Illustrator)

Overview

When Momma spots a wishing star, she starts to ask for world peace—but a sneeze changes “peace” into “peace-AH-AH-AH-choo!” World PIZZA! Suddenly, yummy pies of every kind come drifting down from the sky. That’s not exactly what Momma hoped for . . . or is it? With humor, warmth, and heart, this delicious picture book celebrates the things that truly bring us together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454919469
Publisher:	Sterling Children's Books
Publication date:	06/06/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,064,201
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Cece Meng is the award-winning author of several published picture books, including The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups, winner of the National Association of Parenting Publications Honors Award; Tough Chicks, included on the ALA Amelia Bloomer List of feminist literature; I Will Not Read This Book, and Bedtime is Canceled (all Houghton). Cece lives in Santa Cruz, CA.
 
Ellen Shi is a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, majoring in Illustration. Her first picture book, Little Frog and the Scary Autumn Thing, by beloved author Jane Yolen, will pub in September 2016 (Persnickety Press). When not illustrating for children, teaching art to children, or crafting elaborate fabric puppets, you can find her devouring cherry and chocolate pizza, likely with her nose in a book. Ellen lives in Edison, NJ.
 

Editorial Reviews

“The gentle text [has] a very positive outlook. . . . One can only wish that ‘world pizza’ could solve our planet's problems.” —Kirkus Reviews

“When a family watches a wishing star fly by one night, Mama intends to wish for world peace, but when she’s interrupted by a sneeze, she accidentally wishes for world pizza instead. Soon, pizzas of all types fall from the sky all over the world, and in a clever twist, Mama gets her wish after all. . . . Shi’s soft, winsome illustrations show a diverse array of people enjoying pizza the world over . . . the gentle, optimistic message is carried well. This playful, hopeful paean to pizza should please little ones, and with a nice wind-down message at the end, it would be a good pick for bedtime, too.” — Booklist
 

From the Publisher

07/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—During a night of stargazing, Mama spots a wishing star and begins to ask for world peace, but when a sneeze erupts at the end of her wish, she ends up asking for world pizza. What follows is pizza delivery via the sky all around the world. Pizza appears in deserts, on mountains, in cities, and in remote villages. It appears with traditional toppings and with seaweed and chocolate and pickles and whatever else anyone around the globe can dream up. The pizza becomes something everyone has in common and ignites friendships and an exploration of different cultures as neighbors and strangers break bread together. By story's end, world pizza looks a lot like world peace after all. Digital artwork highlights the humor behind the idea of pies falling from the skies, but it aims for some realism in depicting people of different ethnicities, as well as the variety in pizza toppings. The text is at times repetitive. Overall, there's a good balance of humor and heart. Meng leaves readers with some food for thought: What would it take to unite the world? VERDICT An engaging read-aloud and a thoughtful take on a funny misunderstanding; recommended for most picture book collections.—Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

School Library Journal

2017-03-20
Many people wish fervently for world peace, and the mom in this picture book is no different.When a white mom in an interracial family wishes on a star for world peace and then sneezes, the words sound like "world pizza," or at least that's what her sons think. Suddenly a delicious pizza drops from the sky. Unbeknownst to the family, pizzas of many different flavors start dropping all over the world, and behavior changes. Bullies become friendly, pirates stop fighting, and "angry neighbors with tall fences and locked doors" explore the world outside. The digital illustrations have a painterly feeling, but unfortunately, the usual stereotypes show up: a pirate in an eye patch, an Arctic Native in a fur-trimmed parka, and unnamed Africans in grass skirts. Other illustrations show familiar scenes of parades and playgrounds with diverse groups of people. The wishful mama never realizes the world has changed, although her family is "cozy in the warmth of their peaceful dreams. / And everyone was happy" in the universe that visually expands out of her sons' deep blue quilt. The gentle text, however unrealistic, does have a very positive outlook. The unusual pizza ingredients named in the text are strewn across the inside covers—pickles, marshmallows, cherries, and chocolate chips—but (perhaps thankfully) no recipes are included. One can only wish that "world pizza" could solve our planet's problems. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews