What’s for dinner? How about skizzle klumps n’ gizzardlumps? A hilarious look at mealtime with a pair of persnickety eaters, in the most fun made-up language ever!
 
Would you like a bite of frizzle frazzle hotchy potch? How about a plate of mushy gushy bloobarsh? NERP, says our hero. Nerpity nerpity nerp! (That’s “NO” to you!) With nonsense language and humorously expressive illustrations, this delightfully silly picture book tells the story of two picky eaters—one child, one pet—of indiscriminate species, a multitude of supposedly tasty goodies, and one surprising solution to a familiar childhood situation.

Out March 2020

32 Pages

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Parent’s everywhere have dealt with picky eaters at some point in child-rearing. So finding resources that may help their little ones out of such phases is something greatly sought after. When I saw this book, I thought wonderful, a new resource, and so I asked to review it.

Strangely enough it didn’t matter that the characters were aliens, that could be appealing to this high-tech society. Even aliens can have pets? Right? Sure, a bit human-pushing concept, but why not. It’s relatable to little human children. Can’t be too out of this worldly… right?

And why not have a little alien who is a picky eater. The food language used is a bit too hard for a young reader of picture book age to read and repeat, but there could be some giggles had if read by a parent. So parent and child-time is a good thing. Great! With the food language thing resolved, that leaves us with two picky eaters. One is an alien-child and the other is its pet. One has alien food, and the other has alien pet food. Fair enough.

Now, here is the problem. To resolve the issue of a picky eater, the book suggests parents ply that child with every possible food that they can make. Which of course, the book’s picky eater doesn’t want. This is also the issue with the alien pet. It doesn’t want alien pet food. So to resolve this conflict, the author decides…

…to have the alien child eat the pet food and the alien pet to eat all the other food prepared for the picky eating alien child. Seeing the alien’s face in the pet’s dish slurping all the pet food up in hungry excitement hit me kind of funny. Then, seeing the alien parents give the alien pet so much alien food… It was such a small pet…

I suppose I’m over-thinking this. Or, maybe I’m hungry. Or maybe I’m over-thinking how hungry I am. Perhaps, I wish I was an alien… no, that’s not it. Maybe, I just want an alien pet too…