All of us can use a bit of humor in our lives these days, at least I know I need some. When a salesperson at my local indie bookstore recommended today’s Perfect Picture Book, I flipped through it and started laughing aloud in the store. I trust, and hope, you’ll have the same reaction.
Title: WHO ATE STEVE?
Written By: Susannah Lloyd
Illustrated By: Kate Hindley
Publisher/Date: Nosy Crow/2025 (first published in the UK in 2024)
Suitable for Ages: 4-8, and older
Themes/Topics: humor, size, nature, circle of life, mystery
Opening:
Welcome, everyone, to this EXTREMELY INTERESTING book where we are going to learn all about SIZE.
EXCITED?
I KNOW I AM!
First of all, we need some helpers…
MARCEL!
STEVE!
Brief Synopsis: An unknown narrator explores size differences between a worm and a bird.
Links to Resources:
· Gather items that are big and little, tall and short, narrow and wide, etc.;
· Try these free activities to learn about opposites;
· Learn about earthworms and birds.
Why I Like this Book:
A picture book that is one long monologue addressing “everyone”, that breaks the fourth wall, and that includes one character attempting to eat another character? YES, please! When the voice is right, as it clearly is here, the result is laugh-out-loud hilarious. No surprise here that Lloyd and Hindley are British and that WHO ATE STEVE? was first published there.
As the story begins, the narrator informs readers that we will be learning about size by comparing a big creature, Marcel the bird, and a small creature, Steve the worm. But as anyone who knows anything about birds and worms can imagine, and as readers see in the illustrations, bringing a bird and a worm together can result in a predictable outcome. I think kids will love being in the know, and they’ll especially enjoy the twist ending.
While all picture books are a marriage of text and art, because of the nature of this story, much of the humor arises first or only in the illustrations. Page turns are especially important and used to great effect. In addition, the art director and/or editor deserve special credit for the way the text appears. Bold text, all caps, circled text, and more provide clues to adult readers to help us emphasize certain words that amp up the humor.
Whether at home or in school, I think kids will love WHO ATE STEVE?, and they might even learn a bit about size relationships.
A Note about Craft:
Why does the improbable premise of WHO ATE STEVE? work so well? One word: Voice! Lloyd nails it. Without this snarky, rather bossy, know-it-all narrator, much of the humor would disappear. And WHO ATE STEVE? would be just another book about a bird trying to eat a worm.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 