Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (US edition, paperback) - 9781423107965

Quotes:The chopsticks from Rosenthal and Magoon's Spoon (2009) take center stage in this clever companion book, which is as charming and whimsical as its predecessor. Best friends, the chopsticks are all but inseparable. "They go everywhere together. They do everything together. They're practically attached at the hip." But while trying a fancy new culinary trick, one of the chopsticks snaps and is whisked away (literally, by a whisk) to the medicine cabinet, where a grave bottle of glue pronounces, "It was a clean break. He just needs to stay off it while it sets." The marriage of text, digital art, and design provide plentiful puns and laugh-out-loud humor, as the injured chopstick encourages his friend to explore the world without him ("Go! Chop, chop!"). He eventually picks up a whole new set of skills, helping Spoon pole vault, testing cupcakes for doneness, and even conducting a motley kitchen-utensil orchestra. Rosenthal spells out the story's message-"Unexpectedly, being apart had made each of them even stronger"-but it's leavened with plenty of droll comedy, reminding readers that solo practice can make for even better duets.—PWIn this companion book to Spoon, Rosenthal outlines the amusing activities of a pair of chopsticks who are not only working partners but also BFFs. Then the tip of one chopstick is broken in an unfortunate encounter with an asparagus spear, and after getting medical attention (the glue bottle mends him and wraps the "wound" with a bandage) the injured chopstick must "stay off it until it sets." At first, the non-injured chopstick stays close by his friend's side, but the injured one finally tells him, "You need to get out . . . venture off on your own a bit." The chopsticks discover that time away from each other can also be a good thing: "Unexpectedly, being apart had made each of them even stronger." Rosenthal's message about friendship isn't exactly subtle, but it also isn't preachy, and the kitchenware antics keep the mood light and humorous. Multiple textual and visual puns ("Chopstick was quickly whisked away" is accompanied by a picture of the injured chopstick being carried off by a whisk with a first aid cross-emblazoned handle) will also tickle kids' funny bones, as will the slew of pop-eyed, anthropomorphized utensils. The slightly muted colors of Magoon's gently goofy di