The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors

Rating: 5 Stars

Y'all, seriously.

This book is legit one of my fave kid lit reads of the year. My daughter (almost 5) really liked Daywalt's The Day the Crayons Quit and the moment I saw this at the check-out counter in Lakeshore, there was no question it would be going home with us. My daughter is really getting into playing Rock Paper Scissors now and this was a perfect 'origin story', so to speak. She also gets upset with me when I take a page from the Friends' playbook and add fire or water, which are totally valid options, I feel.

Anyway, back to the book.

The whole idea of how Rock, Paper, and Scissors came to know one another and become locked in an epic battle for eternity is hilarious. There are some zingers and one-liners that are just as funny for adults (if not more so) as they are for the kids. These warriors take on all kinds of assorted foes, who are not worthy of their time, as they defeat each and every one, until they come to know one another. Before they meet one another, they fight various other opponents such as an apricot, a tape dispenser, and dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, among others. It's truly a clever, intelligent book that would be a valuable edition to a home library. There are also random pop culture references adults will enjoy, such as when Rock called the apricot a fuzzy butt. I could not stop laughing as I was reading it out loud (because yes, it does look like the emoji. We all know that peach is really a butt.) He also had another line when he shouted after one battle, "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!", as he channeled his inner Russell Crowe.

All in all I highly recommend this fitting tribute to three mighty warriors.