Annabelle and the Spaghetti-Confetti Surprise - Jenna Beatrice - ★★.¾

AUTHOR: Jenna Beatrice

ILLUSTRATOR: Annabel Tempest

GENRE: Children's Picture Book.

PUBLICATION DATE: March 18, 2025

RATING: 2.7 stars.

In a Nutshell: Sorry to be the party-pooper on a kids’ book, but I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. ☹ The illustrations are fabulous, but the story itself, while silly enough to be entertaining, leaves a lot of loopholes. I also don’t like the inadvertent message that comes out from one characters’ behaviour. Might work for some readers, but overall, a mixed bag for me. This is an outlier review.

Plot Preview:

Young Annabelle is a party planner extraordinaire. No matter what party planning assignment comes her way, she blows away everyone (including the grumpiest of persons) with her resourcefulness and fun activities. As everyone’s expectations are high for the upcoming Block party, Annabelle feels the pressure and ropes in her elder brother Anthony for help. Unfortunately, Anthony’s giant headphones are always on and he messes up Annabelle’s instructions. Will he end up ruining perfect Annabelle’s perfect party?

Note: This review has minor content spoilers, but strictly restricted to what you can guess from the title and the cover.

At the surface level, I can see kids having a lot of fun with the story. So if I have to rate this strictly by entertainment quotient, the book does deliver a lot of laughs. There are comical scenes, enjoyable animals, sibling goofs, unexpected plot developments and loads of party fun.

Entertainment: 4 stars.

The book is written in simple prose, with plenty of feeling and action words, and also many alliterations, all great for readaloud narrations. Annabelle and Anthony have many scenes with back-and-forth conversations, where Annabelle’s lines come in a pink speech bubble and Anthony’s come in blue. (Predictable colours, but helpful to figure out who’s talking.) Mr. Grumperton’s “Harrumph!” is used well. Bonus points for the pasta pun!

Text/Vocabulary: 4 stars.

On the believability factor, the book appeals more to those who enjoy silly stories without asking “How?” Now, I know kids books aren’t exactly realistic, so this feedback is not based on an ad-hoc feeling of “How can this happen?” but on the genuine curiosity about “How did it actually happen?” “Spaghetti-confetti”? How did Anthony get the spaghetti up there when there was nothing to hold the spaghetti? Lemurs making a surprise appearance? Lemurs are among the most endangered species! They are also not native to the USA, so how the heck did Anthony manage to get a whole lot of them for a block party - the neighbourhood zoo? Beggars belief!

Plot Believability: 0 stars.

On the moral/lesson coming out, the reaction would depend on the reader. I don’t believe that every picture book needs to be written only for educational purposes. This one isn't, and that’s perfectly fine. HOWEVER, there is one particular moral that comes out indirectly from the plot. Anthony doesn’t bother to take off his headphones even when an important task is assigned to him. When his lack of attention results in chaotic surprises, one would expect him to be repentant. But there is no guilt from his side, nor remonstrance from any adult at the potential danger he put everyone in. Moreover, his contribution is praised as “perfection”. His actions end up as the highlight of the day, putting down the importance of Annabelle’s hard planning, who herself doesn’t seem to mind. This doesn’t sit right by me. Are we teaching kids that it is okay to not pay attention to tasks and not apologise for major mistakes?

Morals/Life Lessons: 1 star.

The illustrations, wholly adorable except for the bright blue hue of one animal that is supposed to be dull brown in real life, redeem the overall experience. The outstanding colours and engaging graphics, with a lot happening in the foreground and background of every page, will keep little readers excited. The characters are inclusive as well. Annabelle’s rainbow hairbow that seems to have feelings of its own is a fun addition. Don’t miss the antics of Annabelle’s cat!

Illustrations: 4.5 stars.

Overall, as you can see, my feelings go here, there, and everywhere. If your child likes entertaining stories and can read without asking too many “But how?” questions, this book is great for them. (I know mine would have eaten my head with a hundred queries!) Use the sectional ratings to make up your mind, or read the other reviews, almost all of which are highly positive.

The official target reading age for this story is 4-7 years, which further seals my disappointment because at this age, kids are old enough to learn right behaviour and the consequences of actions/negligence.

2.7 stars, based on the average of the five sectional ratings.

My thanks to Two Lions for providing the DRC of “Annabelle and the Spaghetti-Confetti Surprise” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.