Fall of General Custard, or the Overthrow of a Leftover
Matt Damon
Fall of General Custard, or the Overthrow of a Leftover
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Matt Damon
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Crunch! The fridge door swings open, and the air smells like sweet cherries and creamy custard. Suddenly, a food fight explodes with splashes of fudge and flying sausages—everything is topsy-turvy! Amid the chaos, brave Rosaline the cherry and loyal Romeo the olive step up to bring peace, but can they stop the mess before it’s too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This rhyming children's book uses a lively food fight inside a refrigerator to explore themes of conflict, cooperation, and standing up for what is right. Designed for early readers aged 5-8, it combines humor and engaging illustrations to deliver important social lessons in an accessible way. Parents should note the playful depiction of conflict, which is resolved through teamwork and peacemaking.
Why we rated Fall of General Custard, or the Overthrow of a Leftover 7LE
Fall of General Custard, or the Overthrow of a Leftover is written at a Level 2 reading level across 32 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Fall of General Custard, or the Overthrow of a Leftover works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Fall of General Custard, or the Overthrow of a Leftover as 7LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Fall of General Custard, or the Overthrow of a Leftover explores friendship, family, humor, adventure, and peace — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, humor.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
7LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781940468334
- Pages
- 32
- Publisher
- White Cloud Press
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction