Teaching Mood and Tone with Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
One of my assignments for my class was to choose a book to read to third graders dealing with the theme of healthy foods. After scavenging the library and finding only mediocre food books, I approached the librarian and told her my assignment. She thought for a minute and then recommended Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, a Caldecott honor award winner. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one I had so eagerly been looking for. I was not at all disappointed. This book from cover to cover is filled with everything a good book should be. "Jasper Rabbit had a passion for carrots" (Reynolds 1) as the first page states. He eats them all the time, but one day these carrots begin to follow him. Everywhere he turns, he sees carrots--creepy carrots. The pictures beautifully convey the story and add so much more meaning to the text. The only color, besides black and white, throughout the whole book is orange. This color palette immediately sets the tone