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Peanut Butter & Brains: A Zombie Culinary Tale
Reginald isn’t like the other zombies who shuffle through Quirkville, scaring the townspeople and moaning for BRAINSSSSS! The only thing Reginald’s stomach rumbles for is sticky peanut butter and sweet jelly. He tries to tell his zombie pals that there’s more to life than eating brains, but they’re just not interested. Will Reginald find a way to bring peace to Quirkville and convince the other zombies that there’s nothing better than peanut butter and jelly?
Debut author Joe McGee and up-and-coming illustrator Charles Santoso have crafted a delicious tale about being true to yourself that will make readers hungry for more.
Debut author Joe McGee and up-and-coming illustrator Charles Santoso have crafted a delicious tale about being true to yourself that will make readers hungry for more.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2015
3 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
October 26, 2015
”BRAINSSSSS”
Hordes of zombies moan, groan, and shuffle through the streets of Quirkville. Reginald stands out from the pack though. He doesn’t crave and call for brains. Reginald wants a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
”Sweet jelly...,” moaned Reginald. “Sticky peanut butter...”
If only Reginald could get the other zombies to try peanut butter and jelly. They would want more, more, and more too—instead of brains. But can he get the masses to try something new?
The art work here is done just right for kids. Realistic zombie coloring, stares, and scars bring the zombies to life—so to speak. :D But at the same time, the brain craving crowd is somehow sweet and adorable looking. Reginald’s cute bluish, sad face made me root for him from the get go! Will he finally sink his teeth into a sweet, sweet, delicious P&J sandwich?
You’re going to have to shuffle, sit, or jump in to find out!
p.s. Have a peanut butter & jelly at the ready. This book may kick start a craving or two. :)
October 21, 2020
Makes a dude hungry.
December 9, 2016
Who wouldn't appreciate a peanut butter & jelly sandwich-loving zombie boy and a "too preoccupied reading to notice an approaching horde of zombies" little girl??
I wanna be like Abigail Zink when I grow up!
....
Adorably counting as my "Read a book out loud to someone else" for the 2016 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. My husband was a good sport and lovingly let me share this story with him.
I wanna be like Abigail Zink when I grow up!
....
Adorably counting as my "Read a book out loud to someone else" for the 2016 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. My husband was a good sport and lovingly let me share this story with him.
February 17, 2017
I got this cute picture book for my birthday from my boyfriend. He probably saw me drooling over it often when I checked my OMG-Need-To-Buy Shelf. :P
Brains! That is what standard zombie stories will tell are the main food for zombies? Right? Think again!
In this adorable book we have a zombie who just doesn't want those silly brains, oh no, he would rather have peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (can't imagine why, but then again that might be because of my allergies to peanuts). We see him try to find a pb&j sandwich. But his friends don't make it easy for him.
While he just wants nommie sandwiches his friends are still convinced that brains is the way to go. Our cute little zombie MC is trying to make them reconsider. If only they could taste a sandwich. He knows for sure that he can convince them that this is just way better.
I just laughed so hard to see him try his best, only to be foiled by several things, like his horde of zombie friends who are passing by and scaring everyone, human and dogs. :P
Of course humans aren't happy to just freely donate their brains, and aren't happy with the zombies. Which is totally logic, I wouldn't want to give away my brain either.
I loved the various zombies that you could see in the crowd. Each of them was unique, and my favourite would be the zombie who (at least I think) has his mouth sewn shut and he is always carrying a sign around with a brain on it. I just laughed so hard when he showed up again.
The ending? What happened there? Terrific! I just was so happy for everyone. And then that last page. Hahaha, well I am curious to see how that endeavour will end.
The illustrations are just the most adorable. The zombies are slightly scary, but mostly I just wanted to hug them (yes, I know, bad idea, but they are just too cute).
I would really recommend this book to everyone who would love a different kind of food for a zombie. :)
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
Brains! That is what standard zombie stories will tell are the main food for zombies? Right? Think again!
In this adorable book we have a zombie who just doesn't want those silly brains, oh no, he would rather have peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (can't imagine why, but then again that might be because of my allergies to peanuts). We see him try to find a pb&j sandwich. But his friends don't make it easy for him.
While he just wants nommie sandwiches his friends are still convinced that brains is the way to go. Our cute little zombie MC is trying to make them reconsider. If only they could taste a sandwich. He knows for sure that he can convince them that this is just way better.
I just laughed so hard to see him try his best, only to be foiled by several things, like his horde of zombie friends who are passing by and scaring everyone, human and dogs. :P
Of course humans aren't happy to just freely donate their brains, and aren't happy with the zombies. Which is totally logic, I wouldn't want to give away my brain either.
I loved the various zombies that you could see in the crowd. Each of them was unique, and my favourite would be the zombie who (at least I think) has his mouth sewn shut and he is always carrying a sign around with a brain on it. I just laughed so hard when he showed up again.
The ending? What happened there? Terrific! I just was so happy for everyone. And then that last page. Hahaha, well I am curious to see how that endeavour will end.
The illustrations are just the most adorable. The zombies are slightly scary, but mostly I just wanted to hug them (yes, I know, bad idea, but they are just too cute).
I would really recommend this book to everyone who would love a different kind of food for a zombie. :)
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
February 11, 2018
This is a cute take on the traditional zombie tale for the picture book crowd. While the rest of the zombies crave brains and the world lives in fear, poor Reginald craves a good peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Alas, they are hard to come by when you are a zombie.
This was a big hit with the whole family. 5 1/2 year old zombie-loving nephew loved this story so much he wanted to read it more than once. He even picked it up on his own to look at! My mom, a former nursery school teacher, really enjoyed it. The pictures are cartoony but not over the top so. They are colorful and fun. There are lots of details in the illustrations that can prompt a child to tell the story in their own words. My dad read this to nephew and summarized part of the action and asked "What do you think happened?" or "What happens next?" and nephew answered, so there are multiple ways to read this book. Nephew was also quick to show me the illustration of the girl reading because she's like me LOL! I liked the plot twist at the end and now I am really craving PB&J. Maybe we'll have PB&J for lunch tomorrow.
Is this the best book I've ever read? No. Is this the best book nephew has ever had read to him? Possibly. Maybe a close second to Plants vs. Zombies. Therefore, I give it 5 stars.
This was a big hit with the whole family. 5 1/2 year old zombie-loving nephew loved this story so much he wanted to read it more than once. He even picked it up on his own to look at! My mom, a former nursery school teacher, really enjoyed it. The pictures are cartoony but not over the top so. They are colorful and fun. There are lots of details in the illustrations that can prompt a child to tell the story in their own words. My dad read this to nephew and summarized part of the action and asked "What do you think happened?" or "What happens next?" and nephew answered, so there are multiple ways to read this book. Nephew was also quick to show me the illustration of the girl reading because she's like me LOL! I liked the plot twist at the end and now I am really craving PB&J. Maybe we'll have PB&J for lunch tomorrow.
Is this the best book I've ever read? No. Is this the best book nephew has ever had read to him? Possibly. Maybe a close second to Plants vs. Zombies. Therefore, I give it 5 stars.
October 30, 2018
Never judge a Zombie by their hunger. They get hangry just like we do.
October 29, 2016
Loved this book! Read it to 2-5 year-olds at Storytime in the library and they loved it too. I particularly liked that it wasn't a "Halloween" book, but definitely something that could be read in conjunction with Halloween. Illustrations were great and the ending was adorable. Highly recommend.
February 15, 2017
I picked this up on a whim at the library. I misread the title as Peanut Butter and Bananas, ha! I was a little unsure about the zombie theme and reading before bed but all three kids enjoyed it, especially Mateo and Sonia. It's a cute, fun story. They don't get tired of hearing it and I haven't gotten tired of reading it to them.
April 24, 2015
When Reginald decides he doesn’t want what all the other zombies want, no one understands him. In fact, at first they don’t even believe him. Zombies are only supposed to want one thing: brains! But Reginald won’t be swayed.
On the outside PB&B looks like a book about raggedy zombies and their limited nutritional focus, but on the inside it’s really a story about embracing what makes you unique, letting others’ expectations fall by the wayside and never losing your curiosity or determination.
McGee’s humor and Santoso’s sweet illustrations pair together in a fabulously unique picture book that embodies the story’s very message: it's not afraid to be different.
On the outside PB&B looks like a book about raggedy zombies and their limited nutritional focus, but on the inside it’s really a story about embracing what makes you unique, letting others’ expectations fall by the wayside and never losing your curiosity or determination.
McGee’s humor and Santoso’s sweet illustrations pair together in a fabulously unique picture book that embodies the story’s very message: it's not afraid to be different.
March 28, 2016
My grand-niece read this to me and her delivery was absolutely hilarious. A funny story :D
November 27, 2016
Loved this book! I think this is the first children's book I have seen with zombies. Definitely a fun read!
March 12, 2017
Pleassseee wriiiitee mmoooorreee...
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October 10, 2017Summary:
The town of Quirksville is full of, not only people but zombies. The zombies walk the streets hunting for brains except for one zombie who just wants a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He then stumbles across a little girl with one and he goes for it. As soon as he gets ahold of the sandwich, he shares it with the other zombies to show them that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are much tastier than brains. They all agree with him and the townspeople start feeding them all peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the zombies start becoming community helpers.
Activity:
Students will write about a time where no one believed them and how it made them feel. They will then write about how they proved to everyone that they were right the whole time and how they felt after.
Citation:
Ferry, B., Glick, M., Lichtenehld, T., Sundrud, J., & Young, R. (2015). Stick and Stone. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The town of Quirksville is full of, not only people but zombies. The zombies walk the streets hunting for brains except for one zombie who just wants a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He then stumbles across a little girl with one and he goes for it. As soon as he gets ahold of the sandwich, he shares it with the other zombies to show them that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are much tastier than brains. They all agree with him and the townspeople start feeding them all peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the zombies start becoming community helpers.
Activity:
Students will write about a time where no one believed them and how it made them feel. They will then write about how they proved to everyone that they were right the whole time and how they felt after.
Citation:
Ferry, B., Glick, M., Lichtenehld, T., Sundrud, J., & Young, R. (2015). Stick and Stone. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
February 5, 2021
It’s been a while since I read the 13th amendment but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to pay people in food. Sure they’re zombies and it’s a book for kids but why have the zombies be happy to work for sandwiches and live as an enslaved race when they could just as easily work for money so they can buy food, clothes, etc.?
February 19, 2021
The illustrations here are superb - I loved the facial expressions! Who knew zombie kids could be so wholesome?
March 22, 2021
This was so cute that it cured my 5-year-old of his iffiness about zombies
February 10, 2017
I loved this book! I picked this book up with other to read to the kids during activity time at church. And we read it and loved it. All of us. All the little kids and me. It was one of those books (like Winnie the Pooh), where I have to stop and laugh. I used to read Winnie the Pooh to my son and laugh and he'd ask, "Why are you laughing, Mom." And I just gotta say some books make you so happy and tickled inside that the laughs just slip out.
This is one of those books. Well done, Joe McGee. And I'm not even a zombie fan.
This is one of those books. Well done, Joe McGee. And I'm not even a zombie fan.
August 13, 2015
There just aren't enough good zombie children's picture books. Thanks goodness for Peanut Butter and Brains! HA! This is just as cute as it can be. Reginald doesn't want brains. He wants PB&J. The other zombies don't know what to think about him, but soon, Reginald shows them what they are missing. Loved it.
July 22, 2015
Nothing freaks me our more than Zombie Children -- the Walking Dead series uses this to chilling effect. But this author/illustrator makes his zombie boy looks like a felt stuffed toy. And by the end, his quest for delicious food had warmed my heart.
July 13, 2015
Adorable and strangely sweet. Zombies scared me off at first, but the story is heart-warming and the illustrations remind me of cuddly friends.
May 6, 2016
Totally going to read this at the Monster Lego Club!
October 9, 2015
A great book for all ages with a timely and meaningful message.
October 19, 2015
great book. my son loves it. we read it everyday now.
October 29, 2015
This is a zombie book perfect for the younger audience. The illustrations are good and the story is not scary at all. My daughter loved it.
November 4, 2015
Very Clever.
Great for book talking srp 2016
Great for book talking srp 2016
November 18, 2015
A zombie named Reginald doesn't crave brains, but peanut butter & jelly sandwiches! Can he change the minds of his zombie horde?
July 2, 2015
Zombie kid is ravenous for PB&J. Ghoulishly silly fun.
October 14, 2015
Pretty good. Not for story time though
January 6, 2020
I find it an act of true heroism when an author like Joe McGee challenges the norm of what's considered "true horror" or "realistic portrayals" of monsters. A kid's book about a zombie that rejects the eating of brains for something more... palatable, let's say...that to me is more daring than anything the late Zombie movie king George Romero could create. A zombie kid wants a peanut butter sandwich, instead of human brains cos, let's face it, there's better brain food out there. (Bad pun.) He finds it in a lunch bag held by a small girl, and it's too bad the other z's in town have caught on, pondering why in the world would a zombie not want to eat brains. It takes a zombie kid with a good head on his shoulders (damn, my puns are fast, aren't they) to turn things around, and the entire human community follows suit. McGee has the same or similar mentality most people used to have in the 70s that a story involving cute creatures with hugs that heal the world will have lasting positive effects, unrealistic as it would seem. And y'know? McGee just might be onto something!!!
Five stars!!!
This is the coolest zombie kid book I have ever seen!!!
Five stars!!!
This is the coolest zombie kid book I have ever seen!!!
November 23, 2018
Another fantastic read for National PB&J Day or any day you wish to celebrate the classic lunchtime sandwich! The zombie trend gets a cute, not-so-scary reboot in this story of a little zombie who only wants a PB&J!
I think vegetarian kids (or those with allergies, or anyone who eats a bit differently) will enjoy this one a great deal. Sometimes you're the blue zombie who just wants a PB&J while all the others are clamoring for brains!
I think vegetarian kids (or those with allergies, or anyone who eats a bit differently) will enjoy this one a great deal. Sometimes you're the blue zombie who just wants a PB&J while all the others are clamoring for brains!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews