Too Many Tomatoes

by Eric Ode, Kent Culotta (Illustrator)

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Gardening, Nature

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neo hates tomatoes, so even one is too many. This is a great piece of poetry about what to do with a large harvest of plump tomatoes. "Gross!" Neo has spoken!!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although fans of the delicious red treats might deny it, a garden really might produce too many tomatoes. In this rhyming story, a youngster helps his grandparents deal with the largess of their garden. Not only do they give them away to everyone they meet, sell some at the farmers' market, participate in a parade celebrating them, but they also eat them freshly picked, right off the vine, and cook with them. By the time dinner is served, it appears that one family has found many different ways to make use of their home-grown produce. Young readers may get tired of seeing all those tomatoes and wonder at a parade held in their honor, but the book provides a good reminder of what starts as a seed and then could feed so many. I like the interactions among the grandfather, grandmother, and their grandson. Clearly, he enjoys spending time with his family and enjoys doing a little hard work, especially when it comes with a juicy reward. The colorful illustrations seem to have been drawn by a tomato lover.

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many tomatoes another cute child book.

Just a little break (for me) from adult heavy books.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, lively, verse about an overgrown tomato garden.

[Lauren]

Through lively text and engaging illustrations, you will not only laugh at this situation, but you will also learn how gardening often results in generosity and sharing the bounty with others. Teachers will find the book the perfect springboard to introduce a unit on plants or communities. “A plateful, a crateful, a grateful hooray! The illustrations are fabulous and the rhymes are wonderful.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling book about the joys of growing and sharing tomatoes, and bonds that go deeper than tomato vine roots. My copy is signed by the illustrator (a relative!). His work is whimsical, smart, and it makes me smile and feel good about the world and the beautiful people in it.

[Valerie Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perky story about a grandson, his grandparents' garden, and what the family does with "too many tomatoes." Written in rhyme and rhythm, this book has so many possibilities to incorporate into early childhood curriculum.

[Sheana M. Conaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written and illustrated!

[Harry Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uh oh too many tomatoes! I love to read this book and see how a boy and his grandparents share the love of an overflowing garden!

[Jane Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In full harvest mode, Eric Ode’s book Too Many Tomatoes shows a boy's excitement in watching his grandparents' garden grow and the number of tomatoes it yields: “A plateful, a crateful, a grateful hooray! This town has too many tomatoes today!” Almost tongue-twisting with steady rhythm and rhyme, this book is a joy to read. Kids will love to say the verses, such as “A biscuit to butter, a basket to borrow. Sing me a song of tomatoes tomorrow!” Illustrator Kent Culotta adds rollicking fun details in his illustrations of people, vehicles, and a farmer’s market. Read this book with your favorite child over some tomato soup or spaghetti with tomato sauce!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book as part of my storytime about too many (or too big) veggies, and it was great! The illustrations are fabulous and the rhymes are wonderful. However, I did elect to skip the last two pages and, instead, to end with the "And one just for me" page. It just seemed to work better. The kids enjoyed it very much and so did I. In fact, I liked it so much that I'm giving a copy to my nieces. After all, considering the way their grandpa grows tomatoes, it will pretty much seem like real life!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a harvest of happy pictures and sing-songy rhyme, this will delight young children and gardeners who want a celebration of their own “too many tomatoes”.