THE BIG EATING BOOK

Picky eaters have no place in this survey of foods and eating habits.

In the first scene, toddler Josh watches his mother openly nurse his little sibling. Before he devours his spaghetti supper (and three desserts), the focus shifts to how animals eat. “Some animals munch on patches of grass. / Others eat the leaves off of trees. / And others even get their food out of flowers.” Each spread depicts, in turn, a smiling goat, a grinning giraffe and seraphic butterflies. In one engaging spread, a mouse scurries away on two feet, holding a block of cheese and glancing over his shoulder as a cat's shadow looms (“and others will do anything to get some cheese…”). Rich, multimedia spreads feature splashes of color and bold outlines; newspaper accents are layered under vibrant paints.  

With lightly applied humor and eye-catching graphics, this introduction succeeds deliciously.