6 Books for Picky Eaters

Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban
If I let my daughter eat nothing other than her favorite food (blueberry pancakes) I strongly doubt that she would learn the same lesson that Frances does in this book. Nonetheless, our plucky badger heroine wants and gets only bread and jam until she is forced to realize what she’s missing out on. This book features some very good points about the downside of various egg-cooking methods, as well as a description of the greatest school lunches ever packed, the menus for which can be found here.
The takeaway: Friends don’t let friends have superior lunches.

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato, by Lauren Child
Occasionally, Charlie is asked to give his little sister, Lola, her dinner, and I’m certain he’s been tasked with the job because their parents are fed up with her fussiness. We don’t know what Lola will eat, but the list of what she won’t includes: peas, carrots, fish sticks, potatoes, sausages, cauliflower, and of course, tomatoes. Tomatoes! Only the most delicious and versatile fruit on the planet! Clearly, there’s no accounting for taste…
In the grand tradition of older siblings tricking their younger ones (which I know nothing about and don’t go asking my brother…), Charlie finds ingenious ways to get his sister fed.
The takeaway: Tomatoes rule!

Too Pickley!, by Jean Reidy and Genevieve Leloup
“I’m hungry!” states the narrator, who then proceeds to turn down numerous edibles for various reasons, declaring his dissent through rhyme. “Too wrinkly, too squishy, too fruity, too fishy!” Not raisins, snails, soup, or tomatoes… (What is it with these kids and tomatoes?!) Isn’t there anything this little boy will eat?
The takeaway: They all eat something, eventually!

Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss
Sam I Am is the relentless focus group moderator grilling our unnamed narrator about his preferences for the stuff in the title. Do you like them now? How about now? And now…? Eventually, the narrator is so worn down by Sam’s persistent questioning that he agrees to try the green eggs and ham, as long as Sam will leave him alone.
I’m not always sure who we’re supposed to be rooting for in this book, but I do know that attempting to get kids to try new things can be exhausting.
The takeaway: Try it! Try it! Try it, even if it’s alarmingly colored and has been un-refrigerated for a long time.

The Seven Silly Eaters, by Mary Ann Hoberman and Marla Frazee
Poor Mrs. Peters. With each successive child she gains another fussy eater. Personally, I’d probably quit after the first few captious children, but she does not. By the time twins (!) Flo and Fran arrive, the Peters children number seven, each with their own particular dietary regime. One child insists on milk served at a certain temperature, another requires homemade lemonade, squeezed from actual lemons (the nerve!), another’s oatmeal will be dumped on the cat if not completely free of lumps…What’s a poor mother to do? If the extremity of this book doesn’t make your situation look better, I suggest running away to join the circus.
The takeaway: Have enough kids and their eating quirks will all fit together like a magical puzzle.

Gregory the Terrible Eater, by Mitchell Sharmat, Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
Gregory’s parents find his eating preferences revolting. Insisting that he’s not fussy, he just wants “fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, bread, and butter. Good stuff like that.” When Gregory refuses to try a bite of a delicious pair of pants, his parents decide they need to take him to a specialist.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Gregory and his family are goats?
This book runs the gamut of the eating issues of goats: not respecting the culinary traditions of one’s family, learning to incorporate good food with the junk, gluttony, understanding the difference between garbage to eat and household necessities…
The takeaway: Pants are for eating; dad’s necktie is for wearing.
What books do your picky eaters love?