2024
WISE Score
A deadpan whodunnit where a very large bird with a very guilty face insists he hasn't seen his worm friend Steve.
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If your kid loved I Want My Hat Back, this is the next essential addition to the shelf. It’s a visual comedy masterclass that treats toddlers like smart detectives rather than passive listeners.
Susannah Lloyd and Kate Hindley have created one of those rare picture books that works precisely because of what it doesn't say. It's short, punchy, and destined to be a bedtime staple for families who appreciate a bit of dry humor.
Perfect for ages 2 to 7. It hits that sweet spot where kids are just starting to understand that people (and birds) can say things that aren't true.
It's a funny, slightly mischievous story that respects a child's intelligence. While it involves a bird eating a worm, it is handled with comedic irony rather than any actual 'violence.'
The book relies entirely on the 'unreliable narrator' trope, forcing kids to use their imagination and deductive skills to see what the text isn't telling them.
It is a standard picture book for preschoolers. No ads, no tracking, no hidden agendas—just a bird with a very big secret.
Excellent for developing visual literacy and logic. It teaches kids to look for clues in illustrations that contradict the written word.
There is a specific kind of magic in a picture book that lets the kid in on a secret the main character is trying to hide. In Who Ate Steve?, Marcel the bird is a marvel of comedic anxiety. He’s large, he’s round, and he’s clearly hiding something (specifically, a worm named Steve).
What makes this book stand out in the crowded 'funny animal' genre is the pacing. Susannah Lloyd knows exactly when to let the text fall silent so Kate Hindley’s art can do the heavy lifting. For a preschooler, realizing that Marcel is lying is a huge cognitive milestone. It’s their first introduction to subtext, delivered via a bird with bulging, nervous eyes.
We’ve all been stuck in the cycle of reading a saccharine, overly-earnest book for the hundredth time. This isn't that. It’s a 3-minute comedy routine. Because the humor relies on the performance of the reader and the reaction of the kid, it stays fresh. You can play up Marcel’s innocence, lean into the awkward silences, and watch your kid point triumphantly at the clues on the page.
It’s a high-quality, durable piece of storytelling that belongs in the same pantheon as Jon Klassen or Mac Barnett. If you want to build a kid who looks at media critically and asks, 'Wait, is that guy telling the truth?', start here.
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