Burgers are the only thing Benny will eat. His mom warns him, "If you don't watch out, you'll turn into a burger!" One day he does. Dogs hound him, cows threaten him, and hungry kids chase him--despite his insistence that he is really a boy. When the owner of Bigga Burger picks him up in his van, Benny thinks he is safe--until he is put on display as a "giant, talking burger." Then it's Mom to the rescue; she takes him home and feeds him veggies, which, it turns out, Benny loves. Cartoonlike collage illustrations are the perfect compliment for this cautionary tale; the spread of Benny morphing into a cheeseburger is especially comical. Enticed by the title and cover, kids will giggle over the familiar admonition. They'll certainly have no beef with the spoof; whether they'll be converted to vegetarians is another matter. review by Julie Cummins
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posted by iconomy at 1:36 PM on November 27, 2007