The Spaghetti Did It! A Spaghetti Western. Caroline Stellings. Winnipeg, MB: Peanut Butter Press, 2017. 32 pp., hardcover, $19.95. ISBN 978-1-927735-16-9. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Danielle Wing. * /4

excerpt:

Steve was good at everything. Among his many talents were roping, riding, and doing the quick draw. He’d always wanted to be in a spaghetti western, so when he read that the Italian film director, Fredrico Zefferini, was holding auditions in Las Vegas, he ran to tell his brother Eddie.

Eddie’s only qualification for being in a spaghetti western was that he loved spaghetti and ate it all the time. He couldn’t rope, had never been on a horse, and was a bit chubby for a movie star. (The spaghetti did it.)

But Eddie jumped at the chance to go to Las Vegas to see the famous celebrity Wayne Newton perform in real life.

The Spaghetti Did It! A Spaghetti Western is a unique picture book with the popular theme of “chasing your dreams.” When Steve, a wolf, discovers an opportunity to audition for a spaghetti western, his brother Eddie sees a chance to see Wayne Newton perform. Together, they travel to Las Vegas where they discover disappointment. First, they learn that Wayne Newton will not be performing due to his missing rhinestone-buckled shoes (stolen by squirrels), and then Eddie gets eliminated from the spaghetti western audition. While Steve stays on as an extra in the spaghetti western, Eddie forges his own path and saves the day by capturing the squirrel thieves.

     The Spaghetti Did It! will find a limited audience in most places. While unique and creative in its own way, the story does not flow well and would, in many cases, leave a young reader confused. The references to Las Vegas, Wayne Newton and western films will be lost on most young readers. Overall, the main strength of this book is in the creative storyline, but it will likely be difficult for readers to connect with it, and the illustrations alone will not hold their attention.

Not Recommended.

Danielle Wing is a librarian in Vancouver, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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