Module 2 - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Citation: Barrett, J., & Barrett, R. (1978). Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. New York: Atheneum.

Book Summary: This book starts off with a grandfather telling his grandchildren a story about a land called Chewandswallow.  The people in the land of Chewandswallow do not have any food stores or restaurants.  They eat whatever falls from the sky.  Each day, the weather forecasters give the forecast about what food will fall from the sky next day.  Everything is fine until the food keeps falling from the sky and will not stop.  So much food falls that the people cannot eat it all and the town is a wreck.  The school has to be closed when a giant pancake falls on it and no one can get inside.  The people had to leave the town and set up a town made out of food in a new place.  

My Impressions: I remember reading this story when I was a child.  Kids today still love hearing this story about food falling from the sky.  The book has become even more popular after the movie version came out a couple of years ago.  This is a very creative story that allows children to imagine what life would be like if food really did fall from the sky.  

Professional Review: Gr 1-3-- In the town of Chewandswallow, the citizens enjoy the bounties of the skies, and open-roofed restaurants allow diners to catch their dinner. Unfortunately, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and there is no choice but to flee from the falling food. The detailed pen-and-ink illustrations begin in black and white, but as the tale progresses, colors join the black line details. A savory story to share over and over again.

Gallagher, G. (2006, July). [Review of the book Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, by J. Barrett and R. Barrett]. School Library Journal, 52(7), 45-45. Retrieved from www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Library Uses: This is a great book for a story time with younger children.  Children could also participate in a writing activity where they write what happens to the people after they set up their new town that is made out of food.