- Publisher: Mascot Kids (3 May 2022)
- Language: English
- Hardcover: 38 pages
- ISBN-10: 1637550847
- ISBN-13: 978-1637550847
- Genre: Illustrated Kids Books
The BookViral Review:
Steven Joseph offers another bonkers tale in “Snoodles, kidoodles, poodles and lots and lots of noodles”. With bright busy illustrations and an equally hyperactive story, this little book is fun, fun, fun.
But don’t be deceived. As with all of Joseph’s tales, this book represents an extended metaphor with a subliminal message, which just happens to be wrapped up in a hilarious tongue-twisting tale.
On the face of it, we meet a world that is full of “oodles”. Cars that run on noodles, with virtually every character, car, or piece of art in this future world being a nod to that deliciously fragrant comfort food!
But simmering under the surface there is much, much more.
In an implicit but delightfully enjoyable way, Joseph’s clever use of rhyming words teaches children to recognise the patterns and structures of language and hear sounds within words, building an understanding that words are made up of separate parts, supporting phonemic awareness.
He also creates countless opportunities for education. The comical Kidnoodle Lisa, followed by an equally amusing Kodoodle Noodle Poodle, allow for forays into the art world, while his clean running Snoodlemobile cleverly enforces a message of respect and responsibility for the environment, along with Joseph’s repeated refrain “once upon a time in the (…) future, where the air was always clean, and the sky was always blue…”
Lastly, Joseph’s reoccurring theme acknowledging ‘crankiness’, allows youngsters to recognise their own fluctuating emotions and take ownership and control of them.
Andy Cave’s inventive artwork bolsters the words with colour and hilarity, bringing Joseph’s characters to life and providing, even more, to talk about and explore.
A super book with much to recommend it, “Snoodles, kidoodles, poodles and lots and lots of noodles” is as much fun for the parent as it is for the child.
