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The Popcorn Astronauts

And Other Biteable Rhymes (with audio recording)

Illustrated by Joan Rankin

About The Book

Take a bite out of the calendar with this cheerful collection of delicious seasonal poems, each one an ode to a favorite food!

The daring popcorn astronauts
are brave beyond compare—
they scramble into puffy suits
and hurtle through the air.

And when they land, we say hooray
and crowd around the spot
to salt the little astronauts
and eat them while they’re hot.

Dive into a watermelon lake and sing the praises of mac and cheese in this playful and poetic celebration of food. In spring, bow to the “Strawberry Queen” and eat “Only Guacamole.” In summer you’ll meet Bob the Ogre, who only eats corn on the cob, and in fall, you can learn “21 Things to Do with an Apple.” And then in winter, retreat from the cold at “The Cocoa Cabana!”

Stellar team Deborah Ruddell and Joan Rankin deliver a whimsical celebration of the tastiest treats of life in this palatable poetry collection.

About The Author

Photograph © Brian Ruddell

Deborah Ruddell is the author of the celebrated picture books Who Said Coo?, illustrated by Robin Luebs, and A Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk and Today at the Bluebird Cafe, both illustrated by Joan Rankin. Before writing children’s books, she was an art teacher and a graphic designer.  Deborah lives in Peoria, Illinois. Visit her at DeborahRuddell.com.

About The Illustrator

Joan Rankin has illustrated more than twenty-five books for children. She received the South African HAUM Dann Retief Prize for Children’s Book Illustration in 1986 and the Katrina Harris Award for Children’s Book Illustration in 1991. Books she has illustrated include A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Off to First Grade by Louise Borden. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (March 24, 2015)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781442465565
  • Grades: P - 3
  • Ages: 4 - 8
  • Lexile ® NP The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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Awards and Honors

  • ALA Notable Children's Books
  • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle
  • NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • Bank Street Best Books of the Year - with Outstanding Merit
  • Illinois Reads List
  • MSTA Reading Circle List
  • Cybils Award Finalist
  • NCTE Notable Poetry List

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Deborah Ruddell

More books from this illustrator: Joan Rankin