The Fall of General Custard, or The Overthrow of A Leftover

The Fall of General Custard brings to life a playful world inside of a refrigerator. When the cherries are “foodnapped” by the greedy General Custard, a full-on food fight breaks out.

“It was Custard’s fierce forces that fired food first.
A fat fudge sauce bomb landed loudly and burst.”

And in the meantime:

“Salamis and sausages, made in New York,
Tossed the poor salad with help from the pork.”

When conflict and division enter the normally peaceful world of the “Fridge,” the story speaks to important themes and challenges that children frequently encounter in their own lives: cooperation vs. conflict and personal choices about right and wrong.

The heroine (a brave maraschino cherry named Rosaline) and the hero (a faithful Olive named Romeo) take risks for what they believe is right and shine a light of understanding so that other foods can see the wisdom of choosing cooperation and peacemaking over the fear and conflict.

This rhyming story, full of humor, wordplay, and wildly and delightfully detailed illustrations, stands on its own as pure entertainment. It's also a launching point for thoughtful discussions with children about conflict and cooperation, as well as standing for what you believe is right.

Matt Damon is an elementary school teacher and storyteller. He lives in Ashland, OR.

Gideon Kendall is an artist, illustrator, animation designer, and musician in Brooklyn, NY. He has illustrated books for Penguin/Putnam and illustrated articles and record covers for publications and companies such as The New York Times, Puma, the Children’s Television Workshop, Scholastic, and Geffen.