Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos

A Llama Book

by Jonathan Stutzman, George Newbern (narrator), Heather Fox (contributor)

Llama Devours the Past is the third installment in Jonathan Stutzman's and Heather Fox's Llama series featuring everyone's favorite camelid, who travels through time to eat a one-of-a-kind donut he just ate…

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Time Travel, Animals, Fiction, Fantasy

Audio CD

First published July 12, 2022

About the author

Jonathan is a writer of picture books, a filmmaker, book hoarder, and daring explorer of 24-hour diners. He is the author of the bestselling TINY T. REX series, LLAMA DESTROYS THE WORLD and LLAMA UNLEASHES THE ALPACALYPSE, FITZ AND CLEO, BUTTS ARE EVERYWHERE, and many others.

His next book is BEAR IS A BEAR illustrated by Dan Santat.

Jonathan studied film in college and grad school. His short films have screened around the world and on television, and he has writing credits on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Emmy-winning variety show HitRECord on TV.

If you ever meet him in person, he will probably-maybe share his french fries.

Reviews

[McKenna R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love and relate to Llama in equal parts.

[Ash Bringmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone get ME shiny time-traveling pants!

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 - 8 years

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was just alright for me. There's just so much going on here with Llama traveling through time, his younger self following him back and then all these other characters being transported through time. All I could think of the whole time reading it was Hulk explaining time travel in End Game. Kids will likely enjoy the pictures and funny antics of Llama and Llama.

[Villain E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Llama has the best donut. So he creates time travel pants to go back in time and have the same donut again, ultimately breaking the timestream

Wordy. Not really funny. I think you need to have been a sci-fi fan for longer than your kids have been alive for this to make any sense.

[♥ I’d Rather Be Reading ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Count: 3+

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SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)

Llama just had a wonderful birthday with the most delicious sprinkle donut as his birthday treat. It was so good that he wants to eat it again. So he invents time travel pants to take him back to his birthday so he can eat the donut again.

But he doesn't know how to use his new time travel pants, and he ends up going back farther in time than he expected. On his way back to the present, he picks up a passenger who seems familiar to him. And now he must figure out a way to get the shy baby llama back to his own time.

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REVIEW:

I think of all the Llama books, this one is my favorite. And I know it's my daughter's favorite at the moment too, because we are reading it so much lately! lol

But I like this one because it's super fun and hilarious (as usual), but it also has Llama doing some internal soul searching and I found that really cool. Llama inadvertently brings home himself as a baby llama. And he starts to remember a traumatic birthday he had blocked out because it was so sad. He was all alone and no one came. In the end, Llama helps his younger self have a better birthday by introducing him to his future friends. Along the way Llama learns that it isn't treats and presents that make birthday's fun -- it's friends.

So yeah this is a super fun one, but I also felt like it had a stronger positive self-reflection message than the other two in the series.

Highly recommended. This whole series is a blast for kids and super fun as an adult to read too. Love them!

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing can compare to the perfect donut - just the right amount of frosting and sprinkles for donut deliciousness - especially a birthday donut! Llama consumes such a donut and is then obsessed with eating it again. Who knows? Maybe time traveling pants were invented just so one could go into the past in search of donut perfection? But - as we all know - there are very specific rules and constraints on time travel. Unfortunately, Llama did not bother to read the instructions for his time travel pants and quite a bit of cosmic chaos ensues. Will Llama's cake supply remain in peril? Or will Llama heroically save the day and mend the past?

Pure, delightful silliness. Prepare yourself for giggles and a strange craving for donuts.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Llama (a llama of science) dons his time travel pants to experience his birthday donut one more time. But of course he neglects to read the instructions and all manner of chaos and hilarity ensue. Love all the period costumes the friends have. Note to self: be content with 1 celebration pastry and stay far away from time travel pants! Case cover art. Team of stutzman and Fox strike again.

[Paige Eckhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to my friend’s 3 year old son and he really loved it. The pictures have a lot to look at and he really enjoyed that. I personally thought the story was fun to read and it would be a fun addition to anyone’s childhood bookshelf. Or anyone’s bookshelf who loves llamas!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and cute

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fans of Llama and can’t wait to read this most recent one to my students!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whimsical and fun with a love of donuts - what's not to like?

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this offering in the world of llama. Here llama somehow tests the time continuum and rocks the universe and discovers two llamas are better than one?

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donuts! Cake! Llama! All this madness plus a little lesson in in sharing and the laws of time travel.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, I was quite impressed. I love baby llama, and I love the way the author mentions how they 'forgot to read the manual' and things like that.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - cute

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite llama book in the series but a worthy addition to the series.

[LibraryKath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightfully silly book, with a silly story and silly pictures and it's silly fun. Definitely a fun one to read to kids.

[Johnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let start off with, 'How does he determine these book titles'?

I personally enjoy the chaotic and raunchy style of the Llama books. Totally suggest as a silly story to lift the spirits!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't seem to capture the effect from the first book

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird and wonderful, and though nothing can compare to the first Llama book, this one does a good job keeping the spirit alive.

[Leova Manbhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute illustrations. story was cute but it did not make any sense.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny! Just as good as the other two!

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! A bit longer, so not ideal for toddlers. Pre-k - 3rd grade is probably best.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Llama books never fail to disappoint with their pure sillyness and cute pictures. Younger elementary ages LOVE these.

[Ms. Madalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little long for storytime but still a great read.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our second favorite of the llama series books. Comes close to living up the magical fun and silliness of the first book in this series, Llama Destroys the World.

[Lillian Slater · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline was a little … confusing? I guess that’s the point of the book?

[Elana · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amusing book for sci-fi nerds young and old, who may have been a bit lonely on their birthdays. With sprinkles!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit it, this series makes me laugh out loud.