The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, written and illustrated by Mini Grey

The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon
Written and illustrated by Mini Grey
Alfred A. Knopf; 32 pp.
$16.95; ISBN: 0375836918

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

Just about every kid knows what happened the night the cat played a fiddle, the cow took a flying leap, and a puppy got the giggles: the dish ran away with the spoon. But where did they go? How did they get there? What did they do? And where are they now?

Mini Grey's (Traction Man is Here!) whimsical and bittersweet elaboration of the well-loved nursery rhyme has an appeal that spans generations as we follow the adventures of the famous pair over many years.

The story opens with the natural conclusion of the "Hey, Diddle Diddle" rhyme, which is told in a background fashion through Grey's artwork as the narrative of the book moves forward. The dish and spoon make off through an open window with stars in their eyes and love in their hearts. The two set out to earn a living performing a vaudeville act, with Dish especially living it up and loving the luxurious life, that is, until the money ran out. Desperate measures -- including bank robbery -- ensue, resulting in the star-crossed pair facing a long-term forced separation. Until the day Dish and Spoon have an unexpected reunion -- Spoon a bit older, Dish a bit chipped and worn, but still the same Dish and Spoon, still very much in love, and very much eager to face the world, together.

Grey's delightful take on the dish running away with the spoon swells with romance and nostalgia, a sweet story about the power and endurance of love, loyalty, and friendship. Effectively showing the passage of time through her illustrations -- ankle-strap shoes and swing coats give way to miniskirts and high boots -- Grey mixes fantasy and reality, bringing her story into everyday life without losing sight of her characters' nursery rhyme beginnings.

Muted-colors illustrate the story, filling in much of the action that takes place and maintaining a high level of visual interest throughout the book. A variety of page layouts fill the busy pages, with lots of detail for kids and their grownups to pore over, and an open book in the title page includes the Hey, Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme for readers who may not know it or perhaps no longer remember it.

Well-placed visual humor will delight kids old enough to understand a pun-ny joke (those "sharp and shady characters" that Dish and Spoon run into? They're a carving knife, meat fork, and serrated knife), while the spoon's first-person telling of the tale adds emotional weight. Dish and Spoon demonstrate for young readers the lessons of valuing what's inside, loyalty, and optimism, couching them in a frame of reference easily accessible to young children.

The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon is sure to spark and support creative thinking in children, as they contemplate the "and then what happens?" aspect of storytelling, refreshing a rhyme kids may have heard over and over. The picture book seems like a natural expression of Mini Grey's background as a theater designer and elementary school teacher, and is a great choice for children and parents to read together.