Tales for Very Picky Eaters, by Josh Schneider (ages 4 - 8) - a hilarious book for new readers!

Children who are new to reading on their own love funny books - something that surprises them, that isn't quite what they expected. And yet they need fairly straightforward books that are easy to grasp, perhaps because children can relate to the situations or the author develops a pattern so the reader knows what to expect. If your child is now reading books with a series of short chapters, much like the Henry and Mudge books, definitely look for Tales for Very Picky Eaters - it will have the whole family laughing out loud.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters
by Josh Schneider
NY: Clarion Books, 2011
ages 4 - 8
available at your local library, favorite bookstore or on Amazon
winner of the 2011 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award
preview available on Google Books

Do you have a picky eater in your house? Night after night, James tells his father that he just can't eat this or that. "I can't eat broccoli," said James. "It's disgusting." You know how it goes. The lasagna is smelly; the oatmeal is lumpy; the milk is repulsive.

Each time James refuses to try another food, his father suggests a sillier and sillier reason why it's too bad James just won't eat his food. My favorite is that they'll have to fire the troll who's been hired especially to make mushroom lasagna in the basement. James's father tells him:

"But if you don't like it, I suppose we will just have to tell him to leave. He'll be so upset. He'll have to go back to his old job."
"What was his old job?" asked James.
"He worked at the rat circus."
"That doesn't sound so good," said James.
"It isn't so good. It's so bad. The rats have sharp teeth and they love to bite. They will bite anything, but the especially love to bite trolls. And they eat his lunch when he isn't looking."

Children love seeing how the father spins these outrageous tales, until at the very end James turns the tables on his father when he actually decides to try something new. Schneider's humorous cartoon illustrations will draw in reluctant readers, and help new readers understand the progression of the story.

This book is perfect for 2nd graders learning to read and write dialog in stories. The silly illustrations and preposterous situations will keep them turning the pages. It's definitely a winner all around! Many congratulations to Josh Schneider for winning the 2011 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for Tales for Very Picky Eaters - it's definitely well deserved.

Do you want to find out more? You can see a preview over at Google Books. Over at TeachingBooks.net you can listen to Josh Schneider talk about this book and read an excerpt.

The review copy came from our school library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books