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Mom is eating a watermelon by Danny and Kim Adlerman

“Mommy is eating a watermelon.
I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.”

In this laugh-out-loud story, children’s book veterans Danny and Kim Adlerman bring to life that saying every mom-to-be dreads hearing: “You look like you’ve got a watermelon in there!”

Our main character Zoe knows something strange is happening to mom and this is the story of how she thinks it’s all her fault. At a family picnic early last summer, Zoe and her friend Madeleine had so much fun telling stories and jokes that a watermelon seed flew out of her mouth and landed right in Mom’s glass. A month later, Mom complains that she hasn’t been feeling well, and one day, as her brother pats her growing stomach, she says, “Looks like you have a watermelon in there!” Zoe thinks it’s all because of that seed she accidentally spit into her mom’s glass. Zoe spends a lot of time waiting and worrying, wondering where the melon would go after Mom took it out for her. Soon after, the big day arrives and the nurse takes a bundle out of the cart. To Zoe’s surprise, it’s a girl, not a watermelon! Phew!

The story is in an easy-to-read format for ages 7-10 and is told in six very short chapters, making it a quick and fun read. Halsey’s art is a unique multimedia style that combines collage and watercolors. She really feels Zoe’s fear and guilt when she shows her mom’s belly under an X-ray machine of her belly, and I enjoyed the “scientific” image of mom swallowing her seed.

This is a great book to use as an introduction to “the big talk” and for those young readers who are curious about where watermelons come from.

In addition to a wonderful story, there are additional watermelon recipes in the back of the book, provided by the National Watermelon Promotion Board, such as Frozen Watermelon and Watermelon in a Blanket.

Additional Information:

Authors: Danny and Kim Adlerman
Illustrator: Megan Halsey
Publisher: The children in our house; April 15, 2009
Reading level: 7-10
Pages: 44

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