Kirkus Reviews

In this latest installment of Rylant and Biggs' picture-book series, Brownie and Pearl do lunch and invite readers to join in the fun. Fans of this perfect preschool fare will once again delight in the series' playful treatment of the everyday activities. Here, the pair feels a bit peckish and heads to the kitchen for stringy cheese, apples, crackers and milk. Pearl is a kitty who plays with her food—rolling the apples and batting the string cheese about like so much yarn. Meanwhile, "Brownie likes to bite her saltines into shapes," and she nibbles one cracker into the letter P for Pearl. Biggs' boldly colored, digital art is presented in clean, clear compositions that make good use of white space (and minimal backgrounds in some scenes) to highlight the playful action of the story rather than the domestic setting. The use of white, however, is perhaps most effective in the pleasing final spread showing both friends licking off thick milk mustaches. The short, carefully crafted sentence can also support beginning readers in their efforts to decode text. A satisfying addition to a consistently strong series. Bon appetit. (Picture book/early reader 3-6)

School Library Journal (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

PreS-Gr 1 Brownie and her cat, Pearl, are ready for lunch. They peer into the refrigerator, and Brownie selects some "stringy cheese." On the following page, Pearl is busy eating and playing with it. Next they find apples in a bowl on the counter, and Pearl rolls one on the floor. From the pantry Brownie chooses saltines and bites them into shapes: "P is for Pearl!" She pours milk into a glass for herself and into a dish for her pet. The book concludes, "Eat, eat. Drink, drink. Lick, lick. Yum." Biggs's vibrant illustrations fill out the spare text with details: Brownie's dress has an apple, pear, and orange pattern; the blue wallpaper has a citrus-slice pattern; and so on. While there is not much of a story, preschoolers will enjoy the friendship and older children may memorize the short, simple text to build pre-reading skills. A solid addition to the series. Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI

ALA Booklist (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

Brownie leads her cat, Pearl, to the kitchen, where she takes out string cheese, an apple, saltines, and milk for lunch. Pearl plays with the cheese and rolls the apple. Brownie bites her cracker into a P shape. While she drinks milk from a glass, Pearl licks it from a saucer. The distinctive digital artwork uses bold lines, clearly defined shapes, and pleasing colors to create a homey setting for this likable duo. With short, simple lines of text in large type, this picture book will please beginning readers as well as younger fans of the Brownie & Pearl series.

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Best friends Brownie (a girl) and Pearl (a cat) take us through their lunchtime (Bite) and bedtime (Hay) routines. Rylant's spare, humorous texts leave plenty of room for Biggs's zoomed-in digital art, and viewers will love marking the similarities and differences in how Brownie and Pearl do everyday things.