Star & Stripe 1: Grand Opening! (Star and Stripe)

Product Description A brother and sister lock horns, then learn to hold hooves as they cook up a sweet new business venture in this vibrant Richard Scarry-esque picture book. Since they were calves, Star and Stripe have dreamed of running their own restaurant. They love their mama's grassburgers and want to share them with the world, or at least the citizens of Critter City. But agreeing on a plan for the restaurant? That’s the hard part. Star wants it to be a fancy downtown restaurant. Stripe wants it to be a casual place on the beach. Butting heads, they crash into the perfect solution—a food truck! There are so many decisions to make with their new business—how to decorate the truck, where to park it, when to open—but with Stripe at the grill and Star reeling in customers, the brother and sister realize that when they hold hooves and work together, great things happen! From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 1—Bovine siblings Star and Stripe frequently argue. The one thing they agree on is that they want to open a restaurant to sell their mama's grassburgers to all the animals in Critter City. After numerous setbacks and disagreements, the grand opening of their food truck is a success. This is first a silly book: the plot reads as a gathering of multiple discrete obstacles rather than a cohesive story. Flat characterizations heighten this effect. Readers are told that Star is fancy and brainy while Stripe is messy and goofy, and then the two are shown repeatedly arguing and working together. Their conversations are summarized in the narration, which lacks immediacy, rather than offered in the characters' own words. The folksy story is full of cow and burger-based puns: "What a COWTASTROPHE!" However, the tale is enhanced by bright and friendly digital illustrations that are packed with with charming visual details. Some readers will enjoy searching for goofy elements, like a giraffe's absurdly long drinking straw, or the fact that the bakery is shaped like a croissant. VERDICT Although the whimsical illustrations add life and interest, this uneven story of sibling cooperation is recommended for additional purchase only.—Elizabeth Lovsin Review "Packed with charming visual details."—School Library Journal About the Author M.J. Offen is an original creator, writer, and producer. She has developed animated shows for Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon, Disney Junior, and Cartoon Network. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Star & Stripe: Grand Opening! is her first book. Ruth Bennett is an illustrator who loves creating fun, quirky characters that make kids giggle. She lives in Norfolk, England