Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas

by Aaron Blabey

‘Hey there guys. Would you like a banana?’
‘What’s wrong with you, Brian? You’re a piranha.’

Brian loves bananas. Trouble is, Brian’s a piranha. And his friends aren’t happy about his fondness for fruit...

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Food, Animals, Fiction

24 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

Aaron is an Australian author of children's books and artist who until the mid-2000s was also an actor. His award winning picture books include Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon and the best-selling Pig the Pug.

In the field of acting, he is probably best known for his lead roles in two television dramedies, 1994's The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and 2003's CrashBurn, before retiring from performance in 2005.

Reviews

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I laughed harder than my students, and they were laughing pretty damn hard! So either I'm extremely juvenile or this was hilarious.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it in Spanish-- it was translated in the Spanish Spain which was interesting for me.

This was a pretty looking illustrated story. A piranha who introduces the other piranhas to fruits but they say they only like toes, knees, and butts to bite on even when they try the fruit.

The beginning of the story had an introduction with the definition the word piranha and it said they only eat mean kids, accountants, kids that dance ballet, nice kids and so on so that was funny...

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book that would help parents with that small child who does not like fruits or vegetables - great art!

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! It's funny, it has fruit, it rhymes and it has the word Bum in it. What more does a child need!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children will find this book silly and parents might be able to use this to get children to eat healthy food.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bum (aka a butt) makes any kids' book a hit.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey was another laugh out loud book. Brian likes fruit, but his friends just want to bite some bums. But Brian for real loves his fruit, why won’t his friends try some?!

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Who knew a piranha could be cute? Brian's not your typical piranha. He's actually adorable and loves fruit. Can he convince his friends that fruit and veggies are the way to go? You'll have to read this wonderful book with bright illustrations and...yes...cute piranhas to find out. - Jen K.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Brian. Life's not easy when you're a frugivore... and a piranha. In funny rhyme, Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas details a conversation between Brian and his friends as he tries to convince them that fruit is awesome... and they try to remind him that body parts are delicious.

I first encountered Aaron Blabey's work in The Bad Guys series of chapter books, which also feature a piranha. But I loved seeing these fish in full colour. Kids will love the silly rhymes, and there's plenty of bum talk (without getting too crass).

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. If you're looking for amusing picture books in rhyme, you might want to check this one out. (As a bonus, you might learn a little something about piranhas and bananas, too!)

Quotable moment:

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite, but the reveal of the bum to the kids is just classic.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my co-workers brought this over to me to read when I was super-sad, and she shoved it into my hands, and said, "Read this." I giggled. The bum made me giggle. Thank you Blabey for cheering me up during a tough time in my life. And thank you, Amanda R. for being there.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian the piranha exasperates his fellow fish to no end in this amusing picture-book from Australian author/artist Aaron Blabey. While they are meat-eaters, Brian loves fruit, and continually offers it to his peers, who become more and more irate. Will our piscine hero ever convince them to give his favorite foods a try?

With a rhyming text that is fun and giggle-inducing - "We don't eat apples! / We don't eat beans! / We don't eat veggies! / We don't eat green! / We don't eat melons! / We don't eat bananas! / And the reason is simple, pal. / We are piranhas!" - and bright, colorful artwork created in acrylic, Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas is another entertaining picture-book romp from Blabey. It would make an excellent read-aloud selection at story-hour. Recommended to Blabey fans, and to anyone seeking silly stories for young children.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

Piranhas don’t eat bananas; it says so right on the front of this book! But Brian’s friends are frustrated when there are a perfectly good pair of feet dangling in the water and all he keeps talking about are silverbeets. Silly and full of unexpected rhymes, Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas will surely have everyone giggling by the end. Enjoy this Missouri 2020 Building Block Nominee by checking out a copy on Mymcpl.org or searching for it on Overdrive! – Reviewed by Stephanie at MCPL Reading Rocket

[Abby Johnson]

Pronounce bananas ba-NAH-nahs for the rhymes to work in this Australian import and you will have young listeners rolling on the floor as a piranha tries to convince his fellow piranhas to try foods other than gnawing on humans. Laugh-out-loud funny and I'd expect nothing less from Aaron Blabey (author of the Bad Guys series, among others).

[Sita_belen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro también nos acompaña a mi gordi y a mi antes de cerrar los ojos. Ha sido un préstamo por parte de sus primos y es su favorito esta semana junto con Life on Mars.

Trata de una piraña llamada Bruno a la que le encanta la fruta e intenta convencer a sus amigas pirañas a que también las coman. Ellas las prueban pero... ya sabéis, son pirañas.
En cada página hay un juego de palabras donde rima una fruta o verdura que Bruno quiere que sus amigas coman con una parte del cuerpo que prefieren comer ellas.

A mi hija le chifla, además, le doy pellizquitos con la mano en la parte del cuerpo que dicen las pirañas y ella se monda de risa.

Lo negativo que le veo al libro es que creo que quiere promover el que los niños prueben y coman más fruta y verdura... pero lo cierto es que el libro convencer, no convence nada. Pero no deja de ser divertido y de gustar a los peques que es lo que interesa de verdad, que le gusten los libros.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a New Zealander its hard for me to admit this, but my favorite children's author is an Australian. I know its shocking. But as I tell customers who come in and ultimately purchase one of his books. Aaron Blabey is just to talented to ignore. My favorite book is definitely Piranhas don't eat bananas, at the end of every story time I have to read it and every time I get the giggles. If you haven't discovered this wonderful book check it out.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

hahahaha

[Katelyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a win win with the kids and the adults!!! Highly recommended for any storytime!!

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. Love that it's all told in dialogue. Also very informative as I was not previously aware that piranhas don't eat bananas.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! All about eating - and what some folks like, others don't. And that's OK. Unless it's your knees that are being eaten...

[Grace Huey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace says she likes the part where they eat the person’s bum!

Hard word(s), no help needed: piranha, serious
Hard word(s), help needed: platter, silverbeets

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

My preschoolers giggled and thought it was hilarious. You can’t get a better recommendation than that.

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, simple, but hilarious rhyming tale. Miss Five and I were laughing out loud.

[Mary Snakenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

So funny.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Fun illustrations and it made me laugh!

[Ellyn → Allonsythornraxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

20/05/2021
⭐⭐⭐
The artwork was so quirky, I loved it! A super quick read but lots of fun! The kid I was reading with couldn't stop laughing!

[Kaylen Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny book about one unique piranha who wants to eat unusual food! Just as great as his other books!!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

My niece picks out the funniest and cutest books ever. She’s such a goofball!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids loved it of course.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!!!! Piranas don't eat bananas. . . . .they eat YOU!!! Yikes!

so once we got over that laugh, it was about preferences and how we aren't piranas and can make healthy choices for us. . . .the littler the kid, the more this was an AWESOME book!!!