The Lemonman
I am the Lemonman, and I want to tell you about my day. It started like any ordinary day. I called my two friends Miss Strawberry and Mr. Celery, and we were going to have a cool picnic in the park. But, alas, my plans went astray as I was lead astray too.
Please listen carefully and learn from me the true lessons of friendship, forgiveness, and kindness as I tell you about one Toad and one Pear and what happened that day.
I might be a Lemonman, but I am really quite sweet.
Being part of this story created by Natasha is really quite neat.
I wanted to have some fun on this beautiful morning; you see
So, I called my two dear friends Miss Strawberry and Mr. Celery, to meet me.
We decided to have a picnic in the park and bring some really good treats.
Unfortunately, I got conned into a game of chance by a Toad who I did not defeat.
Aided by Mr. Pear, who was no friend to me, you see
I lost my precious basket of treats by signing something he gave to me.
Never let your guard down, and always read before you sign on the dotted line.
Or what happened to me will happen to you, and you really won’t feel so fine.
The Toad needs help to find his way back to where you came from
Definitely a book your children will want you to read again and again, and you won’t mind!
The story itself is a creative story about animated fruits and vegetables who gained their human-like qualities through magic. The main character, the Lemonman, is a friendly fellow with a good heart who simply wants to spend a day with his friends having a picnic. However, on the way to the park, the Lemonman meets up with two troublemakers, ending up swindling the Lemonman.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the old saying “cheaters never prosper” could never be more true. But the real test comes in when the Lemonman finds himself in the position to get revenge. Should he get back at those who wronged him, or should he show them kindness and forgiveness? When he decides to follow his heart, the Lemonman learns an important lesson and discovers the true meaning of friendship and compassion.
No picture book review would be complete without a description of the illustrations, which for this book were done by an artist named Jose Pou. Although colorful and cheerful, the illustrations have a sort of old-world charm to them. Instead of the neon greens and yellows, you might expect, the pictures are done in a pastel hue. Some of the artwork felt reminiscent of old-fashioned animation. In fact, the toad in the story reminds me a great deal of the classic Looney Tunes character, Michigan J. Frog.
Overall, this book is a fun read that children are sure to enjoy. This is the first of an entire series of books about the Lemonman, so if your children enjoy the character, there should soon be more to share with them! It looks like the future is indeed looking sunny for our new yellow friend!
