Chomp-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Eat

by Maria Birmingham, Kyle Reed (Illustrator)

Overview

A fun, fact-filled look at both the relatable and the surprising ways animals gobble up grub

Crunch… munch… slurp… CHOMP! The animals of Chomp-O-Rama are hungry, and each creature has its own way of eating. Some dine in ways similar to humans. And others definitely do not. This playful nonfiction book offers creative comparisons between the way humans eat and the mealtime habits of a dozen other creatures.

While humans slurp up soup, butterflies use the straw-like part on the front of their head to sip sweet liquids. While we use a knife to cut food, a sea otter cracks open its meal with a stone. While we take bites of our food, a snake swallows its meal whole!

A turn of the page after each human behavior means that each comparison is a surprising reveal, creating an engaging read-aloud experience. Vibrant digital art brings color and humor to the fascinating facts in this inventive and relatable introduction to animal behavior.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771475501
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	04/15/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.39(d)
Lexile:	AD660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Author MARIA BIRMINGHAM is a longstanding contributor to OWL and Chickadee magazines, and the award-winning author of several books for young people, including Snooze-O-Rama, Acting Wild, Odd Couples, and Biometrics. Maria lives in Brampton, Ontario.

KYLE REED illustrates adorable characters and worlds for children's books, including Snooze-O-Rama, Three Little Birds, Superheroes Don't Babysit, and the Local Baby series. He loved to draw animals as a kid and still draws them today in Hamilton, Ontario with his family. 

Editorial Reviews

"Children will have fun sharing and regurgitating the interesting facts presented in this easily digestible informational picture book."

Youth Services Book Review

"Birmingham and Reed compare a multicultural cast of children munching or slurping nutritious goodies to as many animals with similar or, more often, different habits ... goes for the gusto."

Booklist

"This is just the kind of book that young learners want to read, or have read to them."

Sal's Fiction Addiction

"A lively comparison of human vs. animal eating habits ... Appetizing fare for the information-hungry."

Kirkus Reviews

2025-02-01
In this companion toSnooze-O-Rama (2021), Birmingham and Reed return with a lively comparison of human vs. animal eating habits.

The book begins with a light-skinned child opening a lunchbox as a group of animals peer curiously at the food on display. Birmingham invites readers to “join these hungry beasts and see the wild ways they gobble up grub.” Following the format of the previous book, each spread depicts a youngster in action—in this case, chowing down. A page turn reveals an animal who does something different—or similar. “While you slurp some soup,” the author tells us, “a butterfly gulps turtle tears.” And “while you sometimes use a knife to cut up your dinner,” a sea otter relies on a stone to crack open clams or sea urchins. These animals feed, share, and store their respective foods in intriguing and often surprising ways. The information is clearly presented, and Birmingham draws clever parallels between wildlife and people. Stylized depictions of the animals are presented on brightly colored full-bleed pages, which contrast effectively with the vignettes portraying cartoon kids and adults, set against plain white backgrounds. Birmingham closes with a final spread noting that all beings need to eat and explaining the differences among carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Human characters are diverse; one uses a wheelchair.

Appetizing fare for the information-hungry. (suggested reading)(Informational picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews