Rosen, Michael. I Am Hungry. Robert Starling, Illus. Candlewick, 07/2023. [28]pp. Picture Book. Trade $14.99. 978-1-5362-2510-5. GRADES Baby/Toddler–1. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
A squirrel describes all the things it could eat, real and imaginary, including popcorn, peas, a frying pan, and “a bit of the moon.” The brief rhyming text includes repetition that will engage a toddler storytime audience, who can suggest other things that the squirrel might eat. The brightly colored, mixed media cartoonish illustrations feature close-up focus on the squirrel and the items, all set on stark white backgrounds. With just a few words per page set down in a large typeface, emergent readers can guess much of the text because it contains the words for the food items. This is the sequel to I Am Angry (2021), and the third book in the series, I Am Happy!, is scheduled for release in December 2023.
Penny Peck—SJSU iSchool