Review: Popcorn by Frank Asch
Popcorn by Frank Asch
Just as with Asch’s other books, the straightforward title lets readers know exactly what they are in for, which is an extraordinary amount of popcorn. The real star of this book is the popcorn itself, taking on a mind of its own and creating chaos for Sam and his friends. Sam tackles the problem of the popcorn overtaking his house without any input from adults. Asch empowers readers to work through their problems, and respects his audience by not constricting the actions and costumes of the characters to wholesome “adult approved” subject matter (see the bear wearing the devil costume, and the one sliding down the banister).
The scenes depicted in Popcorn are kinetic. Just like the titular snack, the use of bright and bold colors have the characters “popping” off the page. As the popcorn grows, the bright backgrounds are overtaken by black and white, representing the climax of the story. Weaved throughout the story are various features of sound, including alliteration in the names of Sam’s friends, and onomatopoeia in the various crackling and crunching of the popcorn itself.
The story ends with Sam’s parents blissfully unaware of the mess that had just engulfed their house. Sam’s facial expression humorously suggests that he never wants to hear the word “popcorn” again, and only the reader and the author will know why.
“This story is a classic with a laugh-out-loud ending. No one should miss it.”- Youth Services Book Reviews
-Estimate how many pieces of popcorn is in a bag of popcorn
-Sensory poems- popcorn
-Pop Pop Corn Game instead of Duck Duck Goose
Other books in the Baby Bear Series:
-Sand cake
-Pizza
-Milk and Cookies
SHSU LSSL 5360
- Bibliographic Data: Asch, Frank. (1979). Popcorn. New York, NY: Aladdin. ISBN 978-1-4424-6662-3
- Plot Summary: It’s Halloween night, and Sam’s parents leave him to watch the house while they go to a party. Sam decides to invite his friends over, who all bring popcorn to enjoy at the party. Things get a little out of hand when Sam makes all the popcorn at once, and soon the house is overflowing with popcorn! Sam and his friends must act quickly to get rid of all the popcorn before Sam’s parents get home.
- Critical Analysis:
Just as with Asch’s other books, the straightforward title lets readers know exactly what they are in for, which is an extraordinary amount of popcorn. The real star of this book is the popcorn itself, taking on a mind of its own and creating chaos for Sam and his friends. Sam tackles the problem of the popcorn overtaking his house without any input from adults. Asch empowers readers to work through their problems, and respects his audience by not constricting the actions and costumes of the characters to wholesome “adult approved” subject matter (see the bear wearing the devil costume, and the one sliding down the banister).
The scenes depicted in Popcorn are kinetic. Just like the titular snack, the use of bright and bold colors have the characters “popping” off the page. As the popcorn grows, the bright backgrounds are overtaken by black and white, representing the climax of the story. Weaved throughout the story are various features of sound, including alliteration in the names of Sam’s friends, and onomatopoeia in the various crackling and crunching of the popcorn itself.
The story ends with Sam’s parents blissfully unaware of the mess that had just engulfed their house. Sam’s facial expression humorously suggests that he never wants to hear the word “popcorn” again, and only the reader and the author will know why.
- Review Excerpts:
“This story is a classic with a laugh-out-loud ending. No one should miss it.”- Youth Services Book Reviews
- Connections:
-Estimate how many pieces of popcorn is in a bag of popcorn
-Sensory poems- popcorn
-Pop Pop Corn Game instead of Duck Duck Goose
Other books in the Baby Bear Series:
-Sand cake
-Pizza
-Milk and Cookies
SHSU LSSL 5360
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