book cover

Lenny Has Lunch

by Ken Wilson-Max

Interest age: 3 to 5
Reading age: 5+

Published by Alanna Max, 2023

  • Picture books

About this book

It’s lunchtime at Lenny’s house. Whilst Mummy is at work, Lenny and Daddy – and dog Wilbur – have some quality bonding time in the kitchen together. Daddy prepares lunch whilst Lenny plays along with his toys and copies some of dad’s actions. As they wait for the food to cook, Daddy, Lenny and Wilbur even have a sing-along of ‘Row Row Your Boat’!

This charming and warm-hearted picture book celebrates the simple joys to be found between parent and child during an everyday family ritual. The spare and simple text captures the many sounds of the home kitchen – from the chop-chopping as Daddy prepares the food to the slurps and slops of Lenny enjoying his meal.

But it is in the gorgeous and bright illustrations that the book really comes to life. The broad visible brush strokes give the book a sense of movement, perfect for capturing Lenny’s excitement as he plays and waits for a delicious meal. We also love the small background details – especially the longing gaze of dog Wilbur as Daddy chops the carrots!

About the author

Born in Zimbabwe, Ken Wilson-Max lives in London. He has written and illustrated over 50 books for children. He also illustrates things for grow-ups and businesses and publishes work from other creators through Alanna Max.

As a younger man, Ken made stories from what he saw in his travels. He was excited and so the work was exciting. As he became more experienced and familiar with his surroundings, he saw that everyone had a story to tell. He became determined to inspire others to tell theirs. He found this made his stories much better. It also allowed him to experiment and learn. Since 2014, he’s also been publishing the Chicken Newspaper for children all over the world.

More books like this

Share this page Twitter Facebook LinkedIn