Ryan Miller (2)

In a flip-flop of more traditional sides, this book launches into a humorous yet clever tale which tickles the taste buds as well as the funny bone.

After eating Grandma's amazing jambalaya, Matilda loves to eat new foods. Her parents—not so much. They swear on cereal, pizza, and burgers and refuse to sway away from their favorites even for one little taste. Matilda, however, is determined to lead them to the wonders of variety and comes up with a plan.

The title already caught my attention show more and that of my kids. Watching Matilda dive into every new dish with excitement while her parents pulled faces guarantees a few giggles. Kids will easily set themselves into this scene and have a chance to take a look at (probably) their own finickiness with a little separation, and yet, tons of fun. And the dishes Matilda gobbles down alone raise an eyebrow. The author, of course, doesn't choose 'awful' things like cooked spinach, but heads into more exotic sounding names such as sushi, gumbo, and croquettes and, through this, attracts interest.

The illustrations are bright, hold all the required silliness, and accompany the story with finesse. The expressions on the parents' faces are a treat and invite to gazing at again and again. Diversity is key in the characters as well as the dishes...the food never appearing disgusting or bland.

Especially finicky readers will enjoy these pages. And who knows? A future cook might be born.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts. show less

Matilda Macaroni's parents are picky eaters, but when Matilda tries a bite of her grandma's jambalaya, her curiosity is piqued, and she begins to teach herself how to cook. Then, she insists that her parents try her food, starting with the familiar - hamburgers (even though "There are mushrooms on it. And green things"). Matilda lays down the law though ("This is what's for dinner") and when her parents try her food, they like it! They immediately come on board, offering to cook together, show more and even if they "might not like everything" they "promise to try anything."

This clever, funny role reversal book makes its point in an appealing way, and includes a recipe for quiche on the back endpapers.

See also: How to Put Your Parents to Bed show less

I randomly grabbed this book off the shelf and my picky eater child spent the whole time looking at me like I was reading it only to convince them to try something new.