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Annotated Award-Winning Titles

		Blue Spruce Award (Ontario Library Association) For the best Canadian children's picture book, as chosen by students from kindergarten to Grade 3 The Boy Who Loved Bananas George Elliott Illustrations: Andrej Krystoforski Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2005. 32 p. ISBN 1553377443 Published in French under the title Le garçon qui aimait les bananes (Markham, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, 2005) Ages 3 to 7
The Boy Who Loved Bananas Source

Like all children, Matthew loves animals. One day, he visits the zoo with his parents and develops a strange fascination for monkeys. As soon as he gets home, he decides he will eat nothing but bananas. Dried, flambéed, puréed or even with cream — Matthew eats nothing else.

After two weeks of this diet, he is literally transformed into a small monkey, to the great displeasure of his parents. All of the doctors, veterinarians, psychologists and animal trainers agree: curing him will require that he stop eating bananas. Fortunately, following another visit to the zoo, he decides to stop eating bananas and take up peanuts instead, like elephants!

George Elliott uses repetition and exaggeration of small, funny details to create humour. The realistic and light-hearted watercolour illustrations enliven the writing.

–DSH