Creepy Carrots
Author: Aaron Reynolds (author); Peter Brown (illustrator)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format: Book
Publication Date: August 21, 2012
Grade Level: PreK-3rd
Category: Horror
Jasper Rabbit loves carrots, especially the ones from Crackenhopper Field. Until one day, the carrots start following him . . . How will Jasper escape these creepy carrots?
Creepy Carrots is a Caldecott Honor book that I chose to review because it's one of my two-year-old nephew's favorites. In a single day, he asked to read this book several times and was so excited to find carrots on his dinner plate that night. He's decided he has a passion for carrots, just like Jasper Rabbit.
Plot. The plot revolves around Jasper Rabbit's discovery of and subsequent attempts to escape the creepy carrots who are following him. He tries to tell his mom and dad about the creepy carrots, but every time he tries to show them the carrots, they've mysteriously disappeared, and his parents tell him that creepy carrots aren't real. But Jasper knows that they are, so he takes matters into his own hands. Jasper builds a wall and a moat around the carrot patch in Crackenhopper Field, because the carrots can't get to them if they can't get out. The surprise ending is that this was the carrots' plan all along, so they no longer have to worry about Jasper coming to their field and gobbling them up. I loved how the central question of the story, "Will Jasper escape from the creepy carrots," was answered in such an unexpected and clever way. All along, it was the carrots who were trying to escape from Jasper!
Illustrations. The images are very dark, primarily pencil outlines filled in with shades of gray and occasionally offset with pops of orange, giving the book a very Halloween aesthetic. These dark illustrations lend themselves to the foreboding, sinister mood. The pages are often broken up by several illustrated panels like a comic book, especially in scenes with a lot of action, which put me in mind of watching a horror movie reel. But the dark, moody grays are contrasted with the bright-orange of the creepy carrots, which highlight the lighthearted absurdity of the situation.
Character. There are very few characters in the book, only Jasper, his parents, and the creepy carrots. Jasper and the creepy carrots are the dynamic characters of the book, and their arcs delightfully mirror each other. Jasper begins the book being antagonized by the creepy carrots and always going to others to solve his problem before learning how to stand up for himself. Similarly, the creepy carrots begin the book being gobbled up by Jasper before taking matter into their own hands when enough is enough. It's an interesting parallel between the book's protagonist and antagonists.
References:
Reynolds, A. (2012). Creepy Carrots! (P. Brown, Illus.). Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
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