Monday 25 November 2013

#ReadItMD13 Theme Week - "Food Glorious Food! Children's books with a foodie theme!"

"Mrs Macready Was Ever So Greedy" By Julie Fulton and Jona Jung (Maverick Books). Scoffing!
Ahhh food glorious food, what better subject for a book than scrumptious scoff! We're coming to the end of our year's worth of special theme weeks - encouraging parents to read more to their children but we couldn't end the year without a good hearty meal or two!

Of course, taking things too far can be a bad move - as a certain Mrs Macready finds out...


"Mrs Macready Was Ever So Greedy" by Julie Fulton and Jona Jung is so full of juicy, tempting, tasty and plentiful grub that we had to have it in our list. From the delicious end-papers to the meals that Mrs Macready tucks into, it's a smorgasbord of scintillating sizzling flavours. Mrs Macready loves food a little too much though, and as her waistline expands - and even the newspapers become involved, life in Hamilton Shady will never be the same again. 

Brilliant, a bit grisly, but such superb fun, we love it and it's a regular guest at our bedtime table. 

Who's for a spot of breakfast....? Can I tempt you with something a little different than your usual bowl of Shreddies?

"Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss. Perfect rhymes to fill your platter
"Green Eggs and Ham" is a complete riot from start to finish. I loved it as a kid, and it's been so fantastic to be able to introduce the masterful Dr. Seuss to Charlotte, and see her enthusiasm for his pitch-perfect rhymes and completely crazy scenarios. Here a hapless creature is pestered by Sam (I am) to try a most unusual dish. Green eggs and ham, whoever heard of such a thing! Sam insists it's the most tasty thing you can imagine but his cohort takes some convincing. Whether in a train or in the rain, on a boat or with a goat, the answer is the same - a firm no. 

But try it, try it - just this once...and...YUM!

Charlotte likes to see me tripping over my tongue reading this and other Seuss books so it's become a challenge, to see if I can make it through without fluffing. I haven't yet!

Of course, there are those of us who just can't resist polishing off those leftovers...(waste not want not, my Nan always used to say!) so...

"Dustbin Dad" by Peter Bently and Russell Ayto. You name it, he wolfs it!
"Dustbin Dad" by Peter Bently and Russell Ayto is like most of their collaborations, completely whacky and superb (and in no way describes the way dads behave when our daughters won't finish their chips or fishfingers, right Charlotte?) Again as is so often a theme when a gastronome goes out of control, the Dad here gets his comeuppance when a rather tasty looking fish consomme is consumed, and has hilarious side effects. Dad (or should that be puss) doesn't know what to do as he sprouts fluffy ears and a tail. Serves him right for being such a greedy guts! A brilliantly entertaining book (and again one that makes my tummy rumble looking at all the lovely fare on that cover!)

@TheStrollingMum (my lovely other half, who is a slender slip of a girl compared to my sumo-like girth) said don't forget the veg...

"Super Daisy and the Peril of Planet Pea" by Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt. Pea-culiar!
Peas. You could probably create a whole theme week geared around this tasty veg but a certain would-be superhero probably wouldn't be too impressed. "Super Daisy and the Peril of Planet Pea" by Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt - one of our favourite dynamic duos in children's books - features our long-suffering heroine as she battles the nefarious forces of Planet Pea, and the threat that peas will invade all Daisy's favourite foodstuffs - even ice cream! EWWW! We particularly love Daisy's superhero costume, definitely an idea for the next Book Week at school!

We'll be back as the week progresses with more tasty fare. Do you have a children's story book with a foodie theme? (not a cook book, stories are where we are at this week, have you ever tried reading a cookbook to a child at bedtime? Maybe we might try that!)  We'd love to hear all about it so please do tweet us or drop us a comment. Oh and pass the ketchup, there's a love!