Review for Benji and the 24 Pound Banana Squash
An adorable picture book about growing a giant banana squash!
I just couldn’t resist this book when I spotted it at the library and saw the title. I was very curious about this banana squash (though I am not a fan of squash as a food), so I picked it up, hoped everything would be quiet (as Library #1’s children’s part is like a playground) and started reading.
Meet Benji, a little dude with big plans and big dreams! Past fall he saved up some squash seeds when his mom made something with squash, and now he can finally plant one seed (as that is what I guess is what happened because we only see one squash). I loved that his mom let him do everything, from digging to watering to cutting the squash loose. Good parenting there! Kids have to explore and discover, and helping out is good, but in this case it was best to let the little guy go for it alone.
Benji quickly finds out that he won’t be able to show his dad his plant immediately. As his mom explains it will take days, weeks, and months before the squash is finally out of the ground. Benji learns a valuable lesson of patience, though I did feel sorry with how disappointed he looked. He had apparently expected magic to happen.
I loved that this book clearly shows the process of planting a squash, how to care for it, and how big it can get. Of course, simplified a bit, but still very nicely done. It shows that if you keep on caring, and keep on hoping, you may just get a gigantic squash with enough food for times to come.
The art? I loved it, and I just found out it is done by a Dutch illustrator. How nice!
All in all, a wonderful book about squash growing, hopes and dreams, and proud parents. I would definitely recommend this one.