You're Thinking About Tomatoes

You're Thinking About...

by Michael Rosen

An antique picture, a mad celebrity mummy, and 18th-century Britain come to life in this zany and unorthodox novel. In this sequel to the successful You're Thinking About Doughnuts , protagonist and hero Frank once again finds himself in a different era when a school field trip leads to unanticipated adventures in the colonial past. He soon finds himself on a quest to discover the identity of Sheba, a black servant girl trapped in a living picture. In the process he confronts issues of slavery, multiculturalism, and colonialism.

151 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Ellon]

2 stars (It was okay)

That was... confusing.

I didn't realize this was as sequel until I read other reviews but I honestly don't think that is what made it confusing. The story revolves around a kid, Frank, who isn't doing well in school. He goes on a field trip and instead of completing his worksheet, he interacts with paintings, statues, etc. And that's when things make little to no sense.

I get the overall point, I think. It seems to be about colonialism, slavery, etc. But man is it convoluted.

[Andréa]

A bit confusing for an American...

[Katy W]

I hadn't realised this was a sequel to the Doughnuts book of a similar name until after I'd read this one with my son.
I'd recommend for 7-9 year olds, or younger if reading to.