Horn Book Review
Ivy and Bean are the only kids at school who don't get cheese in their lunches. As Bean's mom says, "Lowfat Belldeloon cheese in a special just-for-you serving size costs five dollars for six little bitty pieces of cheese, so if you want it, you can pay for it yourself." The friends are broke, but oh how they want that cheese -- or rather, that squishy red wax coating that one can warm in one's hand and mold into any number of things: a booger, a soccer ball, a unicorn horn, a nosebleed. When Bean's dad suggests they write a newspaper about life on Pancake Court, they successfully collect a dollar each from subscribers, purchase their coveted red-coated cheese balls, then realize they must now find some newsworthy stories for The Flipping Pancake -- and do they ever. Like Ivy and Bean, author Barrows and illustrator Blackall feed off each other's creativity with hilarious results in this eighth entry in one of the funniest young chapter book series around. jennifer m. brabander From HORN BOOK, Copyright The Horn Book, used with permission.
Booklist Review
At lunchtime everyone has low-fat Belldeloon cheese in a special just-for-you serving size, except for BFFs Ivy and Bean. The appeal is not really in eating the cheese but in playing with its squishable, Silly Putty-like wax case. In this eighth adventure in the tireless series, the slightly mischievous Ivy and Bean unite to raise money to buy their beloved cheese. Inspired by Bean's good-natured dad, they decide to write and sell subscriptions to a newspaper about their neighborhood of Pancake Court. When that turns out to be boring, the pair resorts to snooping in windows and stretching the truth. Enthusiastic illustrations heighten the comedic results.--Leeper, Angela Copyright 2010 Booklist
