Digestion! the Musical

Starred review from June 15, 2022
Will sweet, nutty Li'l Candy's plunge to stardom prove transformational? Every time. On a dark stage lit by neon bright flashes of dazzle and dominated by a towering, cutaway human body, a round, pink ing�nue takes a leap of faith to the Broadway rhythms of a chorus of little carrots: "Past the teeth now! Past the tongue now! Past the palate to the pharynx! She could end up in the lung now if she blunders down the larynx. Or go higher in the head instead and come back out the nose! But she slides down the esophagus, where all the foodstuff goes." Proving along the way that she's not just empty calories but has a nutritional heart of gold--or, more precisely, peanut--and pausing only for the occasional production number ("My name's Platelet! / If you're hurtin' / I make plugs to stop / the spurtin'!"), she, or her remains, arrive at last in the large intestine just in time for the big finale. "LET'S. GET. THIS. POTTY. STARTED. / EVERYBODY PANTS DOWN...." Taking a cue from Maris Wicks' sensational Human Body Theater (2015), this showstopper gives the purposes and processes of digestion the lavish, glitzy production they deserve, from teeth to toilet. (This book was reviewed digitally.) As "gross and amazing" as its topic, certain to receive thunderous ovations--standing or otherwise. (Informational picture book. 5-8)

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September 1, 2022
Grades 2-4 Ever wonder what a musical review that follows what we chew and swallow would look like? Look no further, as the curtain opens on Digestion! The Musical, featuring the actress Li'l Candy, with special appearances from your body, gum, and a doo-wop group called the Baby Carrot Singers. This spotlight-heavy stage musical follows the struggles of a piece of candy as she enters the mouth and tracks her journey through peristalsis, gall bladder puns, gastrointestinal juices, and the duodenum, until she is turned into poop for the grand finale number, "Let's Get This Potty Started." While it's probably the least commercial book to have come from the weird, wacky, wonderful brain of Rex, there is a highly selective audience that will appreciate the off-kilter humor, and others will appreciate the deep dive into the digestive system's inner workings. And although the splashy, brightly colored artwork alternates between horizontal and vertical spreads at a dizzying pace, the artistic stage renderings and the originality of the concept make the book easier to swallow.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 19, 2022
If Alexander Hamilton can have his own hit musical, why shouldn’t the digestive system, too? The protagonist of this picture book is round, bright pink ingenue Li’l Candy, “junk food” with a “heart of gold,” who dreams of being eaten. Her story is elucidated by a Greek chorus of baby carrots (“Peristalsis squeezing has her easing toward the tummy./ But by golly! All this teasing sure can make a crumb feel crummy”). The human body’s disdain for Candy (“Empty calories! You’ll never make anything of yourself here!”) provides big-city-level conflict, at last resolved when Candy’s coating melts away and reveals she’s a peanut with some nutritional value. Cue the final showstopper (and surefire reader favorite), featuring a mirrorball-style toilet: “Get. This. Potty. Started./ Everybody Pants Down!” The jewel-toned digital artwork spotlights Broadway gloss and Andrew Lloyd Webber–spoofing visual drama, with frequent cues to turn the book sideways for vertical views of Candy’s journey. Featuring verve aplenty, it’s another boffo hit by collaborators Rex and Park (Unstoppable). Ages 5–8. Agent (for Rex and Park): Steven Malk, Writers House.