Mucumber McGee and the Half-Eaten Hot Dog

So many children's books these days look cute on the outside but the stories have no flow and are hard for mom to read. This book reads really well and I love the seemingly spooky visuals and the story itself is cute.

This title was reviewed by Three Silly Chicks - Readers, Writers, and Reviewers of funny books for kids. [...] Mucumber McGee is feeling a little peckish. Alas, there is nothing in the house to eat! He scours the pantry and looks through every cupboard - all of them bare. Luckily, the icebox holds a great surprise! Tucked in the very back is one single, solitary raw hotdog. Mucumber snarfs down half of the hotdog before his sister arrives with terrible news. "Don't you know, Mucumber, that hotdogs are made of meat? And fleshy meat that is not cooked is deadly bad to eat!" As his sister explains, Poor Mucumber is destined to die. She even has a diagram to illustrate the effects of eating a raw tube steak: innards + bacterium + the theory of relativity = death! It's all over for Mucumber. He's toast! There's nothing to do but go to his room and wait for the end. Luckily, Mucumber's mother is much wiser than his sister and all's well that ends well. Of course, all is even better that ends in a great feast for a very hungry boy! This is a simple tale of hunger and the power of suggestion illustrated in a delightfully dark and slightly sinister style. Loehr mixes his own delightful style with one part Edward Gorey, one part Addams Family, and one part hotdog and comes up with a delicious tale!

I don't know how Caldecott nominations are made, but this book should be given consideration. Outstanding artwork enhances and extends a delightful story. I would love to read more about Mucumber McGee's tribulations and am hopeful that he will be a recurring character in future children's books.

The previous reviewer put it well. I enjoyed the drama and innocence of the character and loved the expressions and angles of the illustrations. Cute, quick, and easy to read, this book will be read countless times at our house. We hope to see more of Mucumber.

While I don't own this gem yet, I will! The dark, moody illustrations are reminsient of Gorey and Grimly. The rhyming verses are hilarious as Mucumber melodramaticcally prepares to die after eating one half of a cold hot dog. Beautiful and silly!