Title: Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas
Author/Illustrator: Aaron Blabey
Published: Scholastic, 2019

Guys, have you ever walked past a book only to have a totally awesome cover page grab you and drag you right back? That’s exactly what happened to me with Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas. Those hilarious looking fish on the cover just…they spoke to me. With their cute little under-bites and their big, round eyes…I had to give them a closer look.

Very few times have picture books made me laugh hysterically in a bookstore. Notable among them are Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and this one. Other bookstore patrons looked at me in a way that I can only describe as “askance.” But whatever. They didn’t get the joy of meeting Brian, the vegan piranha. Their loss!

This book has everything. Piranhas! Fruit! People not fully understanding your food preferences! And, the best part (according to Lily): Bums.

And in case you’re still on the fence about whether or not you need your own copy (you do), here’s the plot, in five simple-to-read points:

1. Brian the piranha LOVES fruit.
2. His friends don’t. They prefer to eat…meat.
3. You know, like knees and feet and such.
4. Brian persuades them to try fruit.
5. They think it’s meh. Bums instead of plums!

Sometimes the simplest stories are the best. Especially if they’re told with adorable fish and a ridiculous and hilarious premise.  As soon as I read Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, I knew Lily HAD to have a copy. I bought it for a her for Christmas and it almost killed me not to give it to her sooner. I let Vivi read it ahead of time and she said, “Oh, Lily’s going to LOVE this one.”

And she does. I always read this book to Lily with a British accent. (I know Aaron Blabey is Australian….I just can’t do that accent properly. It always ends up sounding vaguely British/southern American after, like, three words.) After several weeks of reading this story multiple times at bedtime, Lily reads along now (in her cute little pretend-British accent) and still cracks up when we reach the ‘bum’ page. Some things will never, ever grow old. This is one of them.

Mama’s Review: Ten fins up!
Lily’s Review: “All the bums!”