Lorenzo, the Pizza-Loving Lobster

by Claire Lordon

Help Lorenzo the lobster and Kalena the sea turtle make a pizza in this delicious summer picture book!

When Lorenzo the lobster discovers pizza for the first time while wandering the beach, it becomes his favorite food ever! He races back home to tell his friend Kalena about it, and together they try to make a pizza. There's only one problem... Lorenzo can't remember what it was made of!Will they be able to make a delicious pizza together?

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Food, Childrens, Animals, Friendship, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

I am an American-Canadian illustrator, designer, and author living in Vancouver, Canada. I create children's books, comics, surface designs, murals, maps, and greeting cards for a number of companies.

I earned my BFA in illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design.

My work is inspired by my lifelong spirit for adventure, a love of the outdoors, and an enthusiasm for travel. I enjoy long distance running, hiking, lacrosse, curling, and snowboarding.

Reviews

[Mum Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book - read it to my grandson

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. "Lorenzo, the Pizza-Loving Lobster" by Claire Lordon is a delightful picture book that I believe is perfectly suited for children aged 4 to 8.

2. This charming story follows Lorenzo, a lobster with a penchant for pizza, on his culinary adventure. Lorenzo's journey to create the perfect pizza, alongside his best friend Kalena the sea turtle, teaches young readers about friendship, creativity, and perseverance. One of the key themes of the book is the joy of discovering new interests and the excitement of shared experiences with friends.

3. I chose this book for my library because it combines a unique storyline with captivating illustrations, which are sure to ignite the imaginations of young readers. The narrative is both engaging and relatable, offering important lessons in a fun and accessible way. For a lesson plan, I would incorporate "Lorenzo, the Pizza-Loving Lobster" into a unit focused on exploring different cultures and foods. After reading, I would engage the class in a discussion about their favorite foods and what makes them special, encouraging them to think about trying new things. We could then create art projects where students design their own imaginative pizzas, using a variety of materials to represent toppings. This would allow the children to practice their creativity and fine motor skills. Additionally, a group activity where we "make" our own classroom pizza, using cut-out ingredients to place on a felt crust, would foster teamwork and reinforce the book’s themes. This book will surely encourage students to be adventurous and appreciate the diversity of tastes and cultures.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly subpar as a story goes. Not much of value except maybe culinary exploration and experimentation. Pizza loving kids will like it.

[Lynne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://literallylynnemarie.blogspot.c...

[Miss Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute picture book about two sea animals wanting to create a pizza. I am using this book for this month's book club display. The after school group and I are doing Cook books and anything to do with cooking or food.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really hokey right from the beginning, but I still liked it. A lobster tries pizza and loves it, but when he tries to recreate it with his friend who has never had it, the results are disastrous on the taste buds.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute but forgettable.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.
Long.
A lot (too many) quotes

Illustrations are decent, but not great at all

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute, and it can give some ideas on how you learn to cook and construct foods, and how it can take more than one try to get it right.

[Kyrstin Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about pizza eating lobster

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply adorable, and so fun! The cover and title caught my eye immediately.
Incited a craving for pizza, though....

[DiAnne Warfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt-Delhi Preschool story time 2-15-2022

[Haley Blois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, vibrant illustrations, encourages creative problem solving.

[Steven Ng · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want that seaweed algae pizza tbh

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorenzo the Pizza-Loving Lobster was written and illustrated by Claire Lordon.

Lorenzo the lobster loved adventure and exploring. He also loved trying new foods he found. One day he met a seagull eating something that smelled amazing. It was called pizza, the seagull told him. Lorenzo sampled it and loved it!

How many lobsters do you know of that love pizza? You now know of Lorenzo the lobster who was so excited about pizza that he hurried home to tell his friends about it. It was when he told Kalena the sea turtle, and she suggested they make one, that Lorenzo realized he didn’t remember what is in a pizza. He only remembered it was delicious.

This story is funny for young readers who do know the ingredients in a pizza. Even if they don’t know for sure, they will know that seaweed is not one of the things they eat on their pizza, nor is jellyfish jelly.

Lorenzo and Kalena’s attempts don’t turn out to be very tasty. Disappointed, and on her way home, Kalena discovers someone’s pizza shop. Then she has a great idea.

Lorenzo, the Pizza-Loving Lobster is a story children will enjoy and find to be quite funny. Claire Lordon’s illustrations are bright and fun, with a friendly warm appeal.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are all Lorenzo.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lobster's like pizza?? Who knew! A cute story using the ocean side items to create a pizza that doesn't quite taste quite right.

Nice bright colors in the illustrations.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

So one day Lorenzo the Lobster tries pizza and it's the best thing he's ever had. He's so excited that he decides to share his new find with his friend Kalena and they decide to make a pizza of their own. But how exactly do you make a pizza? After several attempts to get the recipe right both of them are disappointed. Will they ever be able to share this experience together? A sweet look at the joy of being able to share happiness brings to a friendship.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gr. 1-3. Claire Lordon's Lorenzo the Pizza-Loving Lobster has a fine premise, but suffers from a story that is too long and illustrations that are too juvenile for the amount of text. While the story may work as a lap book for families with pizza-obsessed, advanced pre-K children, the story seems like an inappropriate choice for most libraries.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

After trying pizza for the first time Lorenzo is really excited to recreate the dish and share it with his friends. The only problem is that after multiple experiments he has no idea how to make a pizza!

I liked how Lorenzo modeled trying a new food and the scientific way Lorenzo and Kalena approached trying to make pizza.

Digital artwork. PreK-2.

[Maeghan Nutmeg Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lorenzo and Kalena's attempts to make a pizza (when neither of them have any idea what the original ingredients were) are pretty amusing, but the story as a whole didn't do much for me. The illustrations are nice, if a little odd (this is the first time I have ever seen a lobster riding a bike--lol), but that's nice to have in a picture book.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I would recommend it as a lap read for a pizza-loving family or a storytime about sequencing.

[Deidrah Reeves]

This is a fun book for a food/cooking story time or pizza themed story time.

[Rhea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story with nice illustrations, but it kind of ends abruptly. The kids will enjoy the mistakes that are made making the pizza

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pizza program story option

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah-dorable. Teamwork, perseverance, pizza, and lobsters-- what's not to love?

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

not a favorite. the story was a little clunky for my taste.

[Courtney Huskisson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute idea - a lobster's life is changed by pizza, but can't figure out how to recreate it. Again, cute concept; was a bit clunky in flow though.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Lorenzo wants is to share pizza with his friends, but he can't remember the ingredients. His attempts to recreate the delicious snack go a tad— awry.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pictures and story were so cute