Second Banana
A girl is disappointed with her “rotten” role in the school play—but the show must go on
The kids in Mrs. Millet’s class are putting on their annual nutrition pageant. Every kid plays a food. Every kid gets a line. It is a big deal. But this year, there aren’t quite enough parts for everybody. So the class is cast: Fish, Cheese, Broccoli, Blueberry, Banana, and . . . Second Banana. Second Banana feels rotten. She wants to be the ONLY banana!
In this deliciously original school story, Blair Thornburgh and Kate Berube recognize the dreadful disappointment that a casting list can cause—as well as the power of friendship, creative thinking, and a good attitude to turn a rotten situation into one that’s quite ap-peel-ing. Showtime!
Reviews
“Mixed-media illustrations by Berube offer emotion to the spreads: when the narrating Second Banana finds out that she has to share her part, her stem droops; when she lies down in despair, her costume covers her like a turtle shell. Then she confesses her resentment to First Banana, who, far from reveling in time onstage, wishes she could be anywhere else; in reaction, Second Banana switches from mourning her obscurity to trying to ease First Banana’s anxiety. The setup gives Thornburgh endless pun possibilities (“It’s such an a-peel-ing role” says the protagonist’s father), and the rest of Berube’s costumes—a blueberry that fits over a wheelchair, Swiss cheese with arms and legs—delight, too. A funny, gentle nudge in the direction of being a better banana.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Thornburgh’s school story about making the best of a less-than-optimal situation and showing kindness and empathy for a new friend will ap-peel (sorry) to young readers and listeners, who will easily identify. Berube’s expressive cartoons are a good match—those food costumes are pretty funny.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Punning aside (it’s “an a-peeling” part, reports the father), this picture book ticks so many boxes in the realm of social-emotional learning that it will be useful across curricula. The illustrations keep the mood light, but Second Banana’s emergence from self-centered to compassionate and can-do is an epic journey in very few pages. VERDICT A necessary purchase that looks effortless, reads beautifully, has worthy messages, and is as sweet as the Sugar, which is “used sparingly.” —School Library Journal