What do you think?
Rate this book
Me Hungry!
An inventive Stone Age boy takes matters into his own hands in a humorous, satisfying story for every young child who wants something NOW.
"Me hungry!" the boy pleads. "Me busy," say his preoccupied mom and dad. So the boy decides to go hunting, setting his sights on an elusive rabbit, a prickly porcupine, a too-mean tiger, and finally, a like-minded mammoth who’s more than happy to help. With comical, energetic illustrations and a simple, repetitive text, this child-friendly tale will have little listeners fully engaged right up to the funny final twist.
"Me hungry!" the boy pleads. "Me busy," say his preoccupied mom and dad. So the boy decides to go hunting, setting his sights on an elusive rabbit, a prickly porcupine, a too-mean tiger, and finally, a like-minded mammoth who’s more than happy to help. With comical, energetic illustrations and a simple, repetitive text, this child-friendly tale will have little listeners fully engaged right up to the funny final twist.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 22, 2008
2 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Tankard
26 books78 followersI get ideas by watching and listening all the time. I also keep a sketchbook and am constantly doodling and creating characters," Jeremy Tankard says. Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, Columbia, South Carolina, Hazard, Kentucky, and finally Knoxville, Tennessee Jeremy Tankard, the son of a story telling father and a mother who oversaw libraries, was always surrounded by stories and inspiration for them.
"When I was young my dad used to tell my brother and me stories in order to keep us from complaining during long walks in the mountains. Some of the stories were true, others were not; and as for the rest of them, we still don't know whether to believe them or not." Jeremy Tankard started writing and illustrating when he was still a child, despite his limited spelling capabilities. The early ones featured a pig family who had a series of misadventures. The only words in the books were ‘Hallo’, ‘HALP!’, and ‘Bye bye’.
After studying drawing and printmaking at the Alberta College of Art and Design, Jeremy Tankard embarked on a career as an illustrator, his work appearing in magazines and ad campaigns including Time, The New York Times, Guitar Player, and The Boston Globe. Armed with his skills as an illustrator and his new and improved vocabulary, Jeremy Tankard returned to his real love: telling stories.
Jeremy Tankard is the author of GRUMPY BIRD for which he was nominated for the for outstanding children’s book illustration. His most recent book, ME HUNGRY! is about a Stone Age boy in search of a snack. Jeremy Tankard lives in Toronto with his wife, Heather, and young daughter, Hermione, where he dabbles in music, loves Indian cooking and skateboards.
"When I was young my dad used to tell my brother and me stories in order to keep us from complaining during long walks in the mountains. Some of the stories were true, others were not; and as for the rest of them, we still don't know whether to believe them or not." Jeremy Tankard started writing and illustrating when he was still a child, despite his limited spelling capabilities. The early ones featured a pig family who had a series of misadventures. The only words in the books were ‘Hallo’, ‘HALP!’, and ‘Bye bye’.
After studying drawing and printmaking at the Alberta College of Art and Design, Jeremy Tankard embarked on a career as an illustrator, his work appearing in magazines and ad campaigns including Time, The New York Times, Guitar Player, and The Boston Globe. Armed with his skills as an illustrator and his new and improved vocabulary, Jeremy Tankard returned to his real love: telling stories.
Jeremy Tankard is the author of GRUMPY BIRD for which he was nominated for the for outstanding children’s book illustration. His most recent book, ME HUNGRY! is about a Stone Age boy in search of a snack. Jeremy Tankard lives in Toronto with his wife, Heather, and young daughter, Hermione, where he dabbles in music, loves Indian cooking and skateboards.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 1, 2017
Me not impressed.
May 24, 2012
Nice, bright pictures, cute story. But I'm not sure how wise it is to us "caveman language" in a book for children who are just learning to speak and read.
July 26, 2012
Again, amazing visuals from Jeremy Tankard. Another simple and fun story well worth the read.
July 27, 2010
meh.
February 26, 2008
New authors and illustrators arrive on bookstore and library shelves every day. They pour out of design schools, writing classes, marketing firms, law schools, you name it, and every single one of them wants to be the one that created your child’s favorite book. When children look at books, they want something that will engage them in some way. When parents look at books, they want something that can be read 150 times without getting old. And when librarians look at books, they’re trying to sniff out the ones that are most worthy to appear on their already packed shelves. You can charm a child or a parent easier than you can charm a skilled librarian, but there are a couple factors that you can exploit in your favor. Relatively new author/illustrator Jeremy Tankard could probably school you in these factors, actually. You need to have a book that is visually interesting (check) with a strong plot (check) recognizable characters (check) and if your book reads aloud well to large groups of children then it is on the path to success (check AND check). After having charming great swaths of people with his 2007 release Grumpy Bird, Tankard returns with a tale of a caveboy, his empty belly, and his misguided attempts to remedy this problem. Children, parents, and librarians will all find a little something to love when it comes to a Stone Age boy named Edwin.
Edwin the caveboy has a problem. He’s hungry but there doesn’t seem to be anyone sympathetic to his plight. Not his dad, busy pummeling away at a peanut. Not his mom, lugging about more anklebiters than she would care to heft. Left to his own devices Edwin comes up with a brilliant plan. “Me hunt!” Hunting, however, turns out to be quite a challenge when your “prey” prefers to hide, defend itself, or make YOU lunch instead. When he encounters a wooly mammoth the two find that they have something in common. A quick trip to a nearby apple tree solves their dilemma and when Edwin’s father calls him in for dinner, the boy turns the offer down with a cheery, “We busy!”
When I think of caveboys I think of sad characters like Raymond Briggs’ Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age. The two tales might actually pair together quite well since where Briggs’ story is verbose and more comic than picture book, Tankard’s creation uses a minimum amount of words to great affect. No sentence ever contains more than three words, but the emotions are deftly conveyed. With that in mind, the inevitable question is whether or not this book could be considered a good readaloud. If you sat a group of first graders down, could you read this book to them with success? I think so. It would take some doing, and you’d have to have lots of other books at hand to follow it up due to its short length, but I think that if you dusted off your best caveman (caveperson?) voice and gave it the right emphasis, this puppy could kill with the short masses.
As in Grumpy Bird the characters here are rendered in thick black lines. The contrast between Edwin’s almost symmetrical hair and his tiny dotlike eyes is beautiful. If you liked Tankard’s handling of animals in his previous book then you’ll certainly enjoy what he has chosen to create here. I was also mighty fond of the tiny details Tankard was able to sneak in. I liked noticing that the title page of this book shows Edwin staring down at a stomach that is clearly making noise, even if that sound is only perceivable through six thick lines. I liked that the important job his dad couldn’t tear himself away from was busting open a peanut with a club. And I liked that the rabbit Edwin intends to eat has this baggy-eyed, panicked stare, as if it had been harboring prehistoric ulcers for months. Everything from Edwin’s caveboy sneakers (reminiscent of Grumpy Bird's) to the omnipresent apple tree is eye-catching and rewards second and third readings.
The thing that I loved about Tankard’s previous book Grumpy Bird was his use of eclectic backgrounds and computer rendered images. Me Hungry! however, is less reliant on this kind of visual stimuli. It’s a simpler book, with only a few distinguishing characteristics in each background (rocks and a tree, primarily). Ink and digital media have been combined yet again for the story, but it has a softer feel. Spots appear in different shades as the background colors shift from scene to scene. Often this is beautiful, as when the blue background renders the dots a near spider web of white at Edwin’s feet. I do worry about the spots on the first few pages, though. They’re dark brown against an orange and yellow background, which looks very cool. Unfortunately, it also has the eerie similarity to book mold. Librarians are often on the lookout for mold in all its myriad forms, and I worry that someday a well-intentioned but misguided soul will toss Me Hungry! willy nilly into the discard box without taking the time to examine what those spots really are.
I can see the objections to this book as clearly as if it were written on the cover. Somehow, somewhere, someday, Me Hungry! is going to face the same criticism lobbed at such influential pop culture figures as Cookie Monster and Judy B. Jones. Basically, anytime a children’s book character uses anything aside from proper English, a certain strand of parent goes insane. They will be convinced that Edwin, sweet Edwin, will teach their children an improper way of speaking and render them monosyllabic dolts for life. To their mind, this book will single-handedly undo all of their child’s knowledge, leaving them sounding like miniature Tarzans, incapable of the word “I”. Let me just nip this objection in the bud, even before it occurs. As a librarian, I know a lot of kids. I see huge groups of them everyday. Kids who grew up with Cookie Monster and Elmo and who, by some miracle, still manage to know enough not to refer to themselves in either the third person or as “Me” at all times. Reading this book to your kids will only do them good. They may end up saying, “Me hungry” for a week or two, true. But the novelty will eventually wear off, even as the book’s charm does not.
Everyone should have a favorite caveman book. It should be one of those things you include on job applications and mention on first dates. And if I were to choose my own favorite caveman book, Me Hungry! would probably rise to the top. Visually arresting, funny, and with a great sense of style, this is sure to be a beloved book. Friendship rendered ancient, with a message for today.
Edwin the caveboy has a problem. He’s hungry but there doesn’t seem to be anyone sympathetic to his plight. Not his dad, busy pummeling away at a peanut. Not his mom, lugging about more anklebiters than she would care to heft. Left to his own devices Edwin comes up with a brilliant plan. “Me hunt!” Hunting, however, turns out to be quite a challenge when your “prey” prefers to hide, defend itself, or make YOU lunch instead. When he encounters a wooly mammoth the two find that they have something in common. A quick trip to a nearby apple tree solves their dilemma and when Edwin’s father calls him in for dinner, the boy turns the offer down with a cheery, “We busy!”
When I think of caveboys I think of sad characters like Raymond Briggs’ Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age. The two tales might actually pair together quite well since where Briggs’ story is verbose and more comic than picture book, Tankard’s creation uses a minimum amount of words to great affect. No sentence ever contains more than three words, but the emotions are deftly conveyed. With that in mind, the inevitable question is whether or not this book could be considered a good readaloud. If you sat a group of first graders down, could you read this book to them with success? I think so. It would take some doing, and you’d have to have lots of other books at hand to follow it up due to its short length, but I think that if you dusted off your best caveman (caveperson?) voice and gave it the right emphasis, this puppy could kill with the short masses.
As in Grumpy Bird the characters here are rendered in thick black lines. The contrast between Edwin’s almost symmetrical hair and his tiny dotlike eyes is beautiful. If you liked Tankard’s handling of animals in his previous book then you’ll certainly enjoy what he has chosen to create here. I was also mighty fond of the tiny details Tankard was able to sneak in. I liked noticing that the title page of this book shows Edwin staring down at a stomach that is clearly making noise, even if that sound is only perceivable through six thick lines. I liked that the important job his dad couldn’t tear himself away from was busting open a peanut with a club. And I liked that the rabbit Edwin intends to eat has this baggy-eyed, panicked stare, as if it had been harboring prehistoric ulcers for months. Everything from Edwin’s caveboy sneakers (reminiscent of Grumpy Bird's) to the omnipresent apple tree is eye-catching and rewards second and third readings.
The thing that I loved about Tankard’s previous book Grumpy Bird was his use of eclectic backgrounds and computer rendered images. Me Hungry! however, is less reliant on this kind of visual stimuli. It’s a simpler book, with only a few distinguishing characteristics in each background (rocks and a tree, primarily). Ink and digital media have been combined yet again for the story, but it has a softer feel. Spots appear in different shades as the background colors shift from scene to scene. Often this is beautiful, as when the blue background renders the dots a near spider web of white at Edwin’s feet. I do worry about the spots on the first few pages, though. They’re dark brown against an orange and yellow background, which looks very cool. Unfortunately, it also has the eerie similarity to book mold. Librarians are often on the lookout for mold in all its myriad forms, and I worry that someday a well-intentioned but misguided soul will toss Me Hungry! willy nilly into the discard box without taking the time to examine what those spots really are.
I can see the objections to this book as clearly as if it were written on the cover. Somehow, somewhere, someday, Me Hungry! is going to face the same criticism lobbed at such influential pop culture figures as Cookie Monster and Judy B. Jones. Basically, anytime a children’s book character uses anything aside from proper English, a certain strand of parent goes insane. They will be convinced that Edwin, sweet Edwin, will teach their children an improper way of speaking and render them monosyllabic dolts for life. To their mind, this book will single-handedly undo all of their child’s knowledge, leaving them sounding like miniature Tarzans, incapable of the word “I”. Let me just nip this objection in the bud, even before it occurs. As a librarian, I know a lot of kids. I see huge groups of them everyday. Kids who grew up with Cookie Monster and Elmo and who, by some miracle, still manage to know enough not to refer to themselves in either the third person or as “Me” at all times. Reading this book to your kids will only do them good. They may end up saying, “Me hungry” for a week or two, true. But the novelty will eventually wear off, even as the book’s charm does not.
Everyone should have a favorite caveman book. It should be one of those things you include on job applications and mention on first dates. And if I were to choose my own favorite caveman book, Me Hungry! would probably rise to the top. Visually arresting, funny, and with a great sense of style, this is sure to be a beloved book. Friendship rendered ancient, with a message for today.
October 26, 2020
absoloutely the worst book ever. it was so not grammatically correct, i nearly puked! i actually had faith in jeremy but i guess i was wrong?! it was really retarded and deluded. why would someone even write a book about 'me hungry!?' 'me itchy' 'me bitchy!'. my 2 year old daughter read this book and told me, "why is this not grammatically correct?" jeremy, we used to be friends and you were really smart! but now? i don't think so. you go jeremy retard! oops! i meant tankard your EX boyfriend- chef graham campbell
December 27, 2016
Probably 3.5 stars. It's a cute little story about a cave boy who learns about resilience and friendship.
January 8, 2018
Hungry boy decides to get his own food. B
May 1, 2018
funny simple book for toddlers
March 21, 2019
One Caveman storytime coming up thanks to this delightful story
August 28, 2019
Very cute. Caveman speak makes this a simple story, the illustrations are cute, and its light and fun.
July 13, 2022
Me this. Me that. Short phrases. Eats an apple at the end. Sees animals along the way. Concepts.
February 10, 2023
Story 4
Illustrations 4
Illustrations 4
March 24, 2024
Told as much through the pictures as the simple words this is a perfect story for beginning readers. Great example of problem solving.
August 12, 2017
Very cute and funny!
February 22, 2017
I just can't get into these caveman books where they talk like "Me this, me that." I'm sure I'm overreacting, but there it is. I do love Tankard's illustrations in this (and his other works,) though.
March 3, 2011
“Me Hungry!” “Me Busy.” This is a wonderful great story illustrating the a primal need and a friendship formed. The cartoon like illustrations will appeal to a young audience. With very few words this book tells the tale of a cave-child unsuccessful search for food. Funny and sweet. The words are boldly printed just like the emotions.
Early Literacy Skills:
Narrative Skills
Print Awareness
Print Motivation
Also, available as a board book.
Early Literacy Skills:
Narrative Skills
Print Awareness
Print Motivation
Also, available as a board book.
February 4, 2014
5/5 Stars!!!!!
This is a cute and simple story about a prehistoric boy who is really hungry. His parents ignore his requests and he goes off to find something to eat. It teaches about independence and friendship.
This story is very simple and easy to read. It can be used for any age group; babies through preschoolers. It isn't too wordy and can be read rather quickly. Children will really enjoy it and might even participate while being read to.
I absolutely loved it!
This is a cute and simple story about a prehistoric boy who is really hungry. His parents ignore his requests and he goes off to find something to eat. It teaches about independence and friendship.
This story is very simple and easy to read. It can be used for any age group; babies through preschoolers. It isn't too wordy and can be read rather quickly. Children will really enjoy it and might even participate while being read to.
I absolutely loved it!
October 14, 2015
Edwin the cave boy is hungry. Did he ever think to go make himself a PB&J? No he whines at his parents to feed him. Unfortunately, they are both busy (apparently Edwin's parent don't know about birth control because he has like 6 siblings all under 4). Edwin decides to hunt and ends up befriending a woolly mammoth who helps him get and apple from a tree.
This goes well with This Orq! by David Elliot. We did a "cave paintings" telling the story of our day in story time. It was really fun.
This goes well with This Orq! by David Elliot. We did a "cave paintings" telling the story of our day in story time. It was really fun.
December 2, 2008
A tried and true favorite of storytimes! This book features a Caveboy who declares to everything and anything that he's hungry. The wording is sparse, but a good storyteller can drag out the short book and "ham" it up. Clean language and bright, simple pictures coupled with the Caveboy's grammatically tone-deaf persona make ME HUNGRY a joy to read time and time again.
October 29, 2009
ME HUNGRY. Me busy... me, me, me etc. I'm sure this very basic two word sentence structure in this story will be fun for some to read or listen to, but I thought it was very flat. The finale of the story doesn't seem that exciting and I'm not sure the youngsters would get it. The one star is for the excellent artwork.
March 9, 2011
This book is about a jungle boy who repeatedly says "Me hungry" but cannot find food because people are too busy to help him or he messes with the wrong animals. The sentences in the book are simple 2-3 word sentences which makes it an easy read. It is a pretty humorous book as well. No in depth plot, not too engaging.
August 11, 2011
What is a cave-boy to do when his mama and papa are too busy to feed him? HE HUNT! Well- that isn't as easy as it sounds! When the animals are too sneaky or dangerous to get a spear into, Tankard's little cave-boy has to find a new approach to filling his belly.
Another winner from Jeremy Tankard!
Another winner from Jeremy Tankard!
Read
May 16, 2017Told entirely in “stone age” dialogue, the simple story unfolds of a boy, his need of sustenance, and his ingenuity in finding both food and a friend when family members are busy in other pursuits. If you like this one, you may also like, "Me Want Pet!" 2012, by Tammi Sauer/Bob Shea. This time it’s a different, but still timeless, desire pulling at our cave boy protagonist. - Kate D.
October 29, 2014
I read this in a toddler storytime with another librarian. The kids LOVED IT. Lots of giggles! Fun for the reader and audience. Great for toddler age group (low word count, easy to get excited, and lots of colors and funny illustrations). I used it for a popocorn theme as there were not many books on popcorn that were appropriate for the age group.
November 5, 2014
How much story can be told with 51 words? Quite a lot and the author/illustrator shows quite a lot with his art, too!
A cave person family is busy but their son is hungry. And finds his own way to solve his dilemma.
Help support Independent book stores - please use this link to find a store near you or to purchase - http://www.indiebound.org/book/978076...
A cave person family is busy but their son is hungry. And finds his own way to solve his dilemma.
Help support Independent book stores - please use this link to find a store near you or to purchase - http://www.indiebound.org/book/978076...
October 17, 2008
curious to try this with outreach preschool to see if they "get" it. love the art. love the grunting conversational tone. boys may relate since they have limited capacity to communicate. that comment is for zack. ha ha ha.
December 20, 2008
This book is simple, but so very lovable. It would be easy for a new reader to put together the words with the pictures, and yet it's so much more enjoyable for children than many early reader books. I'll be recommending this one for weeks, I'm sure of it.
March 20, 2009
By the author of 'Grumpy Bird' (which I adore!), this humorous look at caveman life and minimalist language has a similar bold, clean, expressive art style. It's great fun, but I think Grumpy Bird is still my favorite.
July 29, 2011
Jeremy Tankard knows his audience: kindergarteners! Although not as endearing a story as those of his earlier work (Grumpy Bird & Boo Hoo Bird), this very simple tale of a hungry cave-boy who makes a new friend is sure to delight toddlers and preschoolers!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews