[.ca] Gus and Button (ISBN 0439110157)

From Amazon.com:
Joost Elffers and Saxton Freymann first revealed how peppers, pears, and potatoes could magically take on expressive faces and lively personalities in Play with Your Food. Since then, they've put their portraiture skills to good use telling fun kids' stories like this, populated by all manner of anthropomorphic produce. Gus and his dog, Button, (with black-eyed peas for eyes) live in a drab little mushroom town until one day a storm blows a mysterious bright green object by their window. Gus then becomes inspired to venture out into the world, through the Howling Forest: "Gus knew it was a dangerous place where he must never go. 'But I must find out,' said Gus, 'where things this bright can grow.'" And so begins his adventure, past Howell the Wolf (a sly artichoke), into the arms of new friends Cecil, Pip, and Belle (a good-natured green apple, a toothy orange, and a wide-eyed red pepper, respectively), and on to the bustling city of Cornucopia. Elffers and Freymann pack each page with scores of different fruits and vegetables, from Swiss chard to star fruit to patty pan squash, and even the backdrops brim with ingenuity. (Are those mushroom capitals on celery pillars? Is that river really made out of red cabbage?) Although you'll almost certainly risk some subsequent food play, Gus and Button are pals worth joining for a trip. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

This is my favorite book!:
And I'm an adult. Every time my daughter goes to the shelf to get a book for story time this is the book I hope she brings back. The pages are always fresh, it seems like every time I turn the page I see something new that I hadn't seen before. My daughter loves the story and can fill in the rhyming words for me. What can I say, the effort that went in to produce this book is obvious, and the rewards are great.

So imaginative and fun to read:
My son received this book when he was not quite three, and two years later we still love reading this book together. It is charming and original. One of our favorite storybooks... I would highly recommend it.

Playing with food, again!:
Another great collaborative effort between Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. The wonderful pictures, made entirely from vegetables and fruits, show the transition from Gus's home of dull, brown mushrooms to the bright and colorful city of "Cornucopia". During a storm, Gus--a mushroom, sees something green fly through the air. He and his dog, Buttons, head off into the forrest of artichokes to find from where something so beautiful has come. During his adventure, Gus discovers the identity of the green "thing" (a baby pea), and returns him to his mother. Upon his return home, Gus reveals what he learned on his journey, "...to really see what's our there, you need more than open eyes. When I keep my wits about me and I keep an open mind, EVERYWHERE I look I am surprised by what I find!" Everyone will enjoy the story of Gus and Buttons, but the pictures will be the most entertaining. A good book to share, but be cautious when sharing with too many, because everyone will want to sit close to see the details of the fruits and vegetables in the pictures!

Entertaining story and wonderful pictures:
My son, who's just turned 5, loved this book. So did my 50 year old brother-in-law when he read it to my son. It had us all laughing looking at the pictures made of fruits and vegetables. The characters are charming, Belle the red pepper, Pip the Apple, and Cecil the Orange, as well as Gus and Button, the mushroom child and his dog. Many hours of reading and re-reading the story and going back and finding all the different fruits and vegetables that made up the pictures.

A fun book for all ages!:
A friend of mine bought this book for her niece. I read it and absolutely fell in love with it. The pictures are so descriptive and really quite amazing. The use of food really adds a unique and adorable edge to this book. I have since bought the book for my niece and nephew and plan on reading this book to my own children over and again as soon as I have them. In the mean time, any time I need to smile, I will pull this book out to brighten my day. The message is also very "apeeling" :)