Gregory, the Terrible Eater

This book has always been one of my favorite books to be read to. As a child, I never thought to think of why the goat was a picky eater and why it was good or bad to eat only junk or produce based foods. As a mother and adult, I can see where these problems can or could come up with young children and how the parents of the goat took steps to try to understand their kid and help them find a balance in a diet that would suit them.
I don't fully agree with the method they in the middle of the story but the beginning part is good and the ending is amazing!

A fun story of Gregory the goat, a picky eater who only likes food humans would eat. His parents get him to eat a real goat diet by giving him some human food but insisting he eat a little goat food too (e.g. ice cream, but also the ice cream box). Pretty soon Gregory eats everything! Enjoyable for picky eaters and parents alike.

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Re-read November 2018

Gregory, a young goat, is faced with difficulty when his parents convince him that what he wants to eat is not normal. Gregory starts off with what a human would consider a healthy, well-balanced meal. He likes fruits, eggs, fish, and bread and butter. However, his parents are so worried with this "terrible" eating that they decide that he needs to see a doctor. The doctor tells Gregory and his parents that although this is not typical nutrition for a goat, it is not unhealthy. Still displeased, his parents only begin allowing Gregory to eat what he wants as long as some of their wants are eaten as well. Gregory agrees and begins having tires, shoe laces, and even tin cans to eat. It begins to get so out of control that Gregory just show more starts eating all foods, non-stop. Thankfully, Gregory and his parents come to a compromise of having portion controlled meals with a little of theirs and Gregory's favorite foods. This story would be great to read to children. It is so ironic that the unhealthy foods here are what humans consider to be the most healthy of all. I think children would really pick up on that and allow them to further understand the importance of what we put in our bodies. show less

This story is such a fun take on trying to drive home the importance of healthy eating. It is the opposite of what the title would have you believe. Gregory the goat is actually a very healthy eater, but his family is not used to goats eating that way. Throughout the story they try to get Gregory to eat everything that they eat like trash. This would be a great resource for a healthy-eating habits lesson. Students would appreciate the humor in a goat who only eats healthy foods. The illustrations of healthy versus unhealthy foods are interesting as well because it seems as though the healthy foods are brightly colored and the "trash(unhealthy)" foods are muted. As the story continues, Gregory's Mom finally convinces him to try what they show more are eating. The problem is now that Gregory is eating everything, his family is concerned. Will his family be able to help him learn how to eat a well-balanced meal? Students can use this as a lesson and think about how they eat at home and if they could make better decisions when choosing foods. show less

Gregory, the Terrible Eater, wants orange juice and eggs for breakfast. His parents are terribly upset! bJose Aruego and Ariane Dewey have entered into the spirit of Mitchell Sharmat's upside-down, turned-around world with bold, wacky, expressive illustrations. The trio's exuberant collaboration provokes healthy laughter and even includes a colorful chart which gives fresh meaning to the concept of "junk food."

This is one of those books that I remember really loving as a kid. I always liked the wobbly illustrations, and all of the crazy things Gregory has to eat. I love stumbling across books like this at work and thinking, "That book! I remember that one!" Ah, the joys of working in youth services...

Kids will laugh at the backwards problem in the book and the illustrations, while not superb, ARE very funny. Added bonus, of course, is the message about eating balanced meals, always a hard sell to french fry fans.