The Sardine Eater

David M. Kelly is a teaching assistant at Brock University in St.
Catharines.

The Sardine Eater is an interesting variation of the time-honored Red
Riding Hood story. Pietro, a quiet, sardine-loving urchin, discovers a
distinctly carnivorous sea creature lurking in (naturally) his latest
can of sardines. The Sardine Eater quickly issues Pietro an ultimatum:
bring food or be food!

Fortunately, Pietro is resourceful enough to anchor the beast to a
sardine can by a magnet (its teeth are metallic) and toss it overboard.
Needless to say, Pietro remains cured of his sardine addiction all the
days of his life.

This book is for children under 7. The product of a mother/daughter
team, it is not likely to inspire fear, even in this age group. The
emphasis is on humor rather than terror. The beast itself is comical,
and there is never any doubt as to the outcome: no way can such a
greedy, grasping, moronic monster hope to triumph!

The illustrations add to the basically gentle presentation of the
story. Comical and lighthearted, they remind the juvenile reader that
the story is all in fun. In fact, the only ones who could plausibly
condemn such a child’s story are the people who can sardines.