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B Is for Beer

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks

A Children's Book About Beer?

Yes, believe it or not—but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, inter-nationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain.

nce upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants consumed thirty-six billion gallons of beer each year (it's a fact, you can Google it). Among those affected, each in his or her own way, by all the bubbles, burps, and foam, was a smart, wide-eyed, adventurous kindergartner named Gracie; her distracted mommy; her insensitive dad; her non-conformist uncle; and a magical, butt-kicking intruder from a world within our world.

Populated by the aforementioned characters—and as charming as it may be subversive—B Is for Beer involves readers, young and old, in a surprising, far-reaching investigation into the limits of reality, the transformative powers of children, and, of course, the ultimate meaning of a tall, cold brewski.

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The cover of this audiobook reads "performed by Laura Silverman," as opposed to "read by Laura Silverman," for a reason: Her cotton-candy voice is full of almost-musical playfulness. It runs the danger of being cloying, but given the uniqueness of the literary device Robbins uses to tell the story, Silverman's tone is strangely appealing: This is a "children's book" seen from the eyes of a precocious kindergartener named Gracie that uses beer as the universal metaphor for life itself. Although this is shorter than much of Robbins's work, he hasn't lost his gift for astute, and somewhat mocking, cultural observations. For instance, this bon mot on the subject of golf: "Golf is like basketball for people who can't jump or chess for people who can't think." J.S.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 23, 2009
      In his “children's book for grown-ups”/“grown-up book for children,” Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues)
      takes readers on a whimsical tour of all things beer, written in the language of a bedtime story. Factoids about everything from how beer is made to the number of gallons of beer sold globally each year (36 billion) are woven into this story about six-year-old Gracie Perkel, who craves time with her beer-guzzling Uncle Moe. When Moe disappoints Gracie, she reaches for a drink and is visited by the Beer Fairy, who flies her through the “Seam” and offers an education about life and, of course, beer. The drive to inform the reader about malt and hops is sometimes relentless, and the language can be frustratingly dumbed-down (“If you're unfamiliar with the word podiatrist
      , you're not alone. Fortunately for Gracie , Uncle Moe was quick to define podiatrist
      as a doctor who investigates and treats disorders of the feet. A foot specialist”). Still, the premise and execution of this unique book lends itself to moments of real humor.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:7-12

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