Popcorn by Frank Asch

Popcorn by Frank Asch. Aladdin, c1979, 2023. 9781665936217  
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5
Format: Hardcover picture book
What did you like about the book? First published in 1979 this classic has lost none of its cuteness, humor or charm.
It’s Halloween night.  Sam, a young bear, has been left home alone when his parents go out to a Halloween party.  Sam immediately calls all of his friends for a party, dresses up as a pirate and begins to greet his many costumed guests who all show up with a gift of popcorn kernels. The party is in high gear when Sam gets his mother’s huge pot, adds some oil and some salt – and the tons of popcorn kernels.  This naturally results in an incredible amount of popped corn, so much that it fills pretty much the entire house, even creeping upstairs and out the chimney.  There is a two-page spread that is 100% popcorn with speech bubbles saying “What happened?”, “Where did everybody go?”, “HELP!”, “SOME PARTY!”, “WHO TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS?”, and “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”.  Everyone wants to go home but Sam says, “No, you’ve got to stay and help me get rid of all this popcorn, or I’ll be in big trouble”.  “munch, crunch, munch, crunch, gulp, munch, crunch” and so it goes until all the popcorn in the house has been eaten…The guests, including the cat and a mouse, are understandably stuffed and sick.  They stagger out the door to home.  Sam goes to bed.  His parents return and bring him a present…
The brightly colored illustrations, simple and basic, are so recognizably Frank Asch.
Anything you did not like about the book?  No.
To whom would you recommend this book? If you missed this story the first time around, don’t miss it this time or enjoy the wonderfulness of it again.  It is a great choice for Halloween storytimes.
Who should buy this book? Public libraries and nursery schools
Where would you shelve it? Picture books
Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles?  Yes.
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Katrina Yurenka, Retired Librarian, Contributor, Youth Services Book Review
Date of Review:  July 14, 2023