This Is a Taco!

by Andrew Cangelose, Josh Shipley (Artist)

This is a squirrel . . . "Hey, I may be a squirrel, but my name is Taco! And I don't eat nuts and tree bark—blech—I prefer tacos!" The natural predator of squirrels is . . . "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who is writing this book? I do not like where this is going." This hilarious send-up of a children's nature primer teaches kids that the most important story is the one you write yourself.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Taco by Cangelose and Shipley is a cute and funny story that even adults, such as I, will be delighted to read. In the beginning, the storyteller gives facts about squirrels but the character Squirrel made reading much interesting because of how funny he reacts to the trivia being discussed. This 30-page children's picture book is a marvelous and worthy to read, even if you're already way beyond the target audience of this book.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I have a confession to make. I don't like squirrels. At all. I have a long-standing feud with one particular squirrel about the property rights in my backyard. But Taco the squirrel is pretty funny. I mean, I like tacos too, so I get his motivation.

This book starts out as a cheeky little fact book about squirrels. The main character, Taco, is used to illustrate (sometimes to his dismay) some of the things that squirrels do. About halfway through the book things get more interesting as Taco rewrites the story to suit his needs.

This is a fun little story that I know the little ones in my life would find hilarious. Besides learning a few squirrel facts, there's a gentle message about making your life what you want it to be. I can see this being a book that gets re-read many times, but it's short and sweet, so I don't think it would become one of the ones I hide behind the china cabinet because I just can't stand the thought of reading it even one more time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this book.

[carol. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming. The 6 year old didn't get it. Wavered between being an in-joke for adults and informative for the kids.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start with this gem taco of a book?





This is one of the funniest picture books I've ever read. It's so loveable and relatable, and definitely appropriate for children and adults alike.

This book deals with stereotypes in a way that doesn't preach to the choir.



I've always found that picture books which incorporate the book itself in a self-referential manner always transcend your everyday info-dump of "This is a cat. The cat is ginger and has red stripes". Creativity is key to impressing kids, and this has loads of it.



Not only does this 32-page book deal with stereotypes, but it's most important message is this:



I'd love to buy this book to share it with my learners in their speech therapy sessions - it teaches you that your life is your own and it's up to you to decide how your story will turn out. I recommend this fourth-wall breaking, squirrel-antic driven picture book to all, young and old.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about squirrels tacos. This children's book was a blast. I loved the self-reverential nature of Taco. While we learn facts about squirrels, Taco is quickly getting upset about these facts. It reminded me some of one of my all time favorite children's books, "The Monster at the End of This Book" where Grover is trying to stop you from turning each page.

Received a review copy from Lion Forge and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely ADORABLE!! Also very funny AND informative, so it pretty much had my attention the whole way through. The artwork was, in my opinion, quite good and clear, the MC Taco was funny and the part with the hawk had me laughing and saying "Oh no!" out loud.

Also, this fun fact had me going to Dr. Google.

Did you know that squirrels can turn their ankles BACKWARDS?!?! That had me putting the book down and going online IMMEDIATELY. It sounded so weird and pre-posterous, but IT IS TRUE!!!

I knew squirrels were weird, but MAN, that is some really strange stuff!

This book was so darn tooting cute, I am going to be picking it up for all of the children in my life. SO CUTE!

5, makes me hungry for tacos and look side-eye at squirrels, stars. Highly recommended!

My thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors-Lion Forge for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hilarious children's book told by a squirrel named Taco. It starts with a few facts about squirrels. Taco is fine, until the author tells us what squirrels eat. At this point Taco speaks directly to the reader, explaining that he does not like nuts and tree bark, his favorite food is tacos! As the facts continue, Taco intervenes more and more actually changing the story to what he wants it to say. This is a great book for young readers and writers as well as being used for a mentor text when teaching about voice. The illustrations are funny and add to the story showing his emotions, especially when there is a hawk around. A great book for schools, classroom, and family libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Lion Forge for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So, I got yet another children’s book from NetGalley and this book is called “This is a Taco!” by Andrew Cangelose along with artwork by Josh Shipley. I must say that this is seriously one of the FUNNIEST children’s books I had ever read for the modern era of children’s books!

Meet Taco! Taco is a squirrel who happens to love eating tacos and he only agreed to be in this book if he can have some tacos. Unfortunately for Taco, this book is not about tacos as it is a book that teaches the readers about the life of a squirrel and how they are able to survive in the wild.

Will Taco the Squirrel get his tacos?

Read this book to find out!

Wow! Just wow! I thought that I would never read another children’s book that contains so much humor and wit in this day and age, but lo and behold, I found such a book! Andrew Cangelose has done an excellent job at writing this book as this story is truly hilarious to read! I loved the way that Andrew Cangelose wrote Taco the Squirrel himself as he is such a hilarious character who just wanted to have tacos to eat but has to endure lots of mishaps in this book so that the reader would learn more about squirrels. I especially loved the way that Taco the Squirrel solved the problem of not getting tacos at the end of this book as it was a truly witty and humorous conclusion to the story! I also loved the fact that the tone of this book reminded me so much of the popular children’s book “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” as both books have sarcastic humor and characters who continually break the fourth wall and wanted the stories to go the way they see fit. Josh Shipley’s artwork is adorable and hilarious to look at, especially of the images of Taco the Squirrel himself as he is shown as being a puffy looking squirrel with a humorous smile on his face on each panel. I also loved the watercolors in the background as it gives the book a down to earth tone that compliments well with the mellowness of this book.



Overall, “This is a Taco!” is a truly hilarious book about squirrels and unconventional storytelling that children should definitely check out! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is a Taco! by Andrew Cangelose and illustrator Josh Shipley is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. I loved this kids book! It is so cute! The funny story about a squirrel trying to tell about squirrels but it gets all messed up. The illustrations are hilarious! Kids will love this! A definite winner!

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book for kids. We have an adorable squirrel who volunteers to teach kids about squirrels in hopes of getting tacos. He goes along with the teachers for awhile but uses his intellegence to change the story to his own happy ending. Adorable art! Adorable story! Definitely a good choice for a gift for your favorite kindergartener.

[Cyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars
A cute laugh-out-loud book about a squirrel who likes tacos and must have them. It starts off with the other stating facts about squirrels but Taco slowly takes over >:D

[Figgy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gorgeous little story with adorable illustrations, in the vein of the classic The Monster at the End of this Book, as well as more recent titles like I Want to Be in a Scary Story, Do Not Open This Book, There’s a Dragon in Your Book, It's a Story, Rory!, and Battle Bunny (more the former two than the latter three, but they all follow a pattern of sorts, with the characters in the books talking to the narrator or the kids, and taking it upon themselves to change their story, sometimes asking the kids to be involved in the changing of the story).

The message here is a great one - about doing the unexpected and not being afraid to be yourself, no matter how insistently people tell you you should follow the trend - delivered in a fun and engaging package that kids and adults alike are bound to enjoy.

The next in a range of great parody books with an encouraging message to boot!

I read this through NetGalley, but I definitely need to track down a physical copy for my collection.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids love silly books. Sometimes the kind of humor that kids love, works for adults as well. In this case, it was dumb humor, which I usually don't like, but it worked for me. The fourth wall has come down, and Taco, the name of the squirrel , takes over.



This starts out being an educational book about squirrels, but then jumps the shark, and goes off the rails, as Taco takes over the narrative, and saves his own life.



Taco is funny, and silly and dumb, and I had a lot of fun reading about him.

The perfect antidote for all those books out there that try to teach science in pitcure books.



Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A hysterical book loaded with facts about squirrels! Definitely a laugh out loud fun way to learn more about our bushy tailed friends.
-- Jennifer K.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

"Kids, remember: If you want tacos in your story, then YOU make sure there are tacos in your story."

I just LOVE tacos (though I am not sure if I love them as much as Taco the squirrel in this book) and so I had to try out this book. Boy, I am hungry for tacos now. Too bad I can't just get/make a taco at this moment. Argh. So warning to all, be sure to have tacos with you when reading because you will want some after reading.

So I first thought that this book would just be a simple picture book about squirrel named Taco who loves Tacos with all sorts of facts about squirrels, instead it is MUCH more. It is a fun fourth wall breaking kind of book where the squirrel takes over the story when he realises that there are a) no tacos in the near future (even though he signed up because tacos were promised) and b) when a hawk swoops down to nomnom on our squirrel. I totally agreed with the little dude, I would have done the same. I didn't sign up to be abused (and eaten) like this! I came for tacos (and squirrels).

I loved how Taco took over the story and how he made it a story that fitted him so much better (and yummier). I loved seeing him cross out words and write new ones, or jumping in between the pages to fix/stop stuff.

The art was pretty decent, I quite like the style. I love the expressions on Taco's face (from his face when he flew through the air, to when he found his tacos). Pluspoints to the deliciously drawn tacos. *stomach rumbles*

All in all, this is one tacotastic book I would recommend.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Taco is a squirrel. A squirrel who loves tacos. He LOVES tacos. Not nuts. Not tree bark. Not gliding through the air. And definitely NOT hawks, who are the natural predators of squirrels. He really does not love hawks. He also does not love being restricted to preconceived notions. Taco says to ignore the factual information about squirrels that Caneglose and Shipley provide and to listen to his words instead. After all, it's HIS story, no one else's, and who knows more about Taco than Taco himself.

"This Is a Taco!" is a delightful and funny story about a squirrel's love for tacos, and his defense of the tacos that he wants to eat. Taco the squirrel is a quick thinker, somewhat selfish and conceited, but also clever, funny, and independent. He takes no guff from anyone, not even his authors. He has no problem editing their work and re-writing the story to suit his needs.

Taco takes charge of his life and changes what doesn't work for him, a great message for kids and one that is subtly done. Read it for the humor and cute pictures, and absorb a lesson or two in the process. "This Is a Taco!" will be enjoyed by young kids and adults alike.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

All questions answered by my 4 year old

Do you like this book?
Yeah! Because I love squirrels and tacos! We eat tacos a lot!

What's your favorite part of the book?
When there's a GIANT TACO! It's going to eat the other tacos! That's silly! And then when he has to eat the tree and he says ew blegh!

What do you think of the cover?
It has a squirrel eating a taco! Squirrels don't eat tacos!

Do you want me to read it again?
Yeah!!!

This book literally had me cracking up. I was laughing so hard. Squirrels and tacos happen to be two of my favorite things and I feel like I really relate to how much this squirrel loves his tacos.

In this book regular squirrel things happen, he eats bark and gets chased by a hawk. But he realizes he can cross out the words on the page and add in the word tacos. So of course he does, because who doesn't love tacos.

This book has adorable and brightly colored illustrations. It's funny and great for even slightly older kids I think.

We received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel Holtzclaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes i did also read this at work today (pros of working at a children's bookstore amirite?) and it was genuinely one of the funniest books i have ever read. also i'm not cheating by logging picture books this early in the year for my goodreads goal. i am NOT!!!

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A children book which start like a «documentary» meaning that's present basic, but interesting fact about squirrel, and then slowly, but certainly turn into a supposedly funny , but it isn't, book about a squirrel who enjoy tacos way too much. Good job by the illustrator, worth mentioning the art is beautiful. That's it...

[Lisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love squirrels and am known to follow squirrels to take a picture of them. My love for squirrels is why I had to pick up this book. This is a witty story about a squirrel named Taco who is not the average squirrel and loves to eat taco's. It's a very informative about squirrels (what they eat, what there habits are and such) until Taco the squirrel takes over the story from the narrator. Which I thought was very cute. If you love animals and want something funny to read with a kid, than this is a great book for you. I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hilarious children's book told by a squirrel named Taco. Taco speaks directly to the reader, explaining a few facts about squirrels and sharing his favorite food - tacos, of course! The illustrations and the interactive story make this a laugh out loud read for kids!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for offering a digital ARC to review!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a witty and funny book about a squirrel named taco, and would you believe it, his favourite food is tacos! Taco (the squirrel, takes over the narrative in a book about squirrels. It reminded me a bit of one of my favourite childhood books, The Monster at the End of the Book.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

[Santy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny little book about a squirrel called Taco who just wanted a friggin taco.

Lol. I loved the clever little things it did to avoid certain doom and loved that it got his heart's desires in the end.

It also had great graphics and I really enjoyed it.

*** Free Copy Graciously Provided By Publisher InExchange For An Honest, Unbiased Review ***

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book at BEA 2018. It successfully combines humor and education. It starts off with a hungry, funny squirrel that we are learning about — I even shouted at my husband “hey, did you know squirrels can rotate their ankles completely backward!” Then when it talks about his natural predator “the hawk” the book really becomes interactive with the squirrel altering the book. The illustrations are top notch! Fun stuff here.

[Charlotte Lisbon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun to read and even taught me stuff about squirrels that I as an adult reader did not know before.. The illustrations were very beautiful and the lesson behind the story was good. I might have gone with a more healthy food choice as this book is aimed at kids and therefore would not buy it for my niece since she would want nothing other than tacos. But if you have a kid who enjoys healthy food and will not be tempted by fast food I would definitely recommend this book.
#netgalley # ThisisTaco

[Andrea Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

A squirrel named Taco explains the truth about squirrels, though, in the process, he is forced to cross out much of the text of this book.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and adorable!! For fans of squirrels and tacos alike!

[Denise Lauron · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when you allow a squirrel to edit your story? You get squirrels, prairie dogs, tacos, hawks and a silly story.

What a fun bedtime story this would make!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taco is a squirrel. He is the star of this seemingly informational book about squirrels. Taco doesn't like everything that's in this book, so he decides to change a bunch of the words. That doesn't always work out as he planned, but it ends up great for taco lovers!

Good for preschool storytimes. It would be great for school age kids who are doing a unit on writing and editing your work as well.