The Littlest Food Critic

by Debbie Rigaud, Rachel Más Davidson (Illustrator)

Overview

This sweet little picky eater will steal your heart as he learns to appreciate how his parents nourish him!

Little Sebastian has a lot of opinions when it comes to food, so his parents call him their own baby food critic! He even has a personal rating system, from one to five binkies, and he’s prepared to knock off a binky or two if his food is too gooey, doesn’t smell quite right, or is touching other food. When a restaurant outing throws him for a loop, a one-binky review seems inevitable . . . but then his parents save the day and Sebastian realizes the special ingredient they’ve been adding to every meal—one that definitely deserves five binkies!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593530375
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.31(w) x 10.28(h) x 0.33(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Debbie Rigaud (DebbieRigaud.com) is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling Hope series (written with Alyssa Milano) and the Sister Switch series (written with Sarah Mlynowski), and is also the author of the young adult novels Simone Breaks All the Rules and A Girl’s Guide to Love and Magic. She lives with her husband and children in Columbus, Ohio.

Rachel Más Davidson (RachelMasDavidson.com) is a Cuban American author and illustrator. Formerly an art teacher, she also wrote and illustrated I Love You Mucho Mucho, and she illustrated Pocket Full of Sads (by Brad Davidson). She lives with her family in Texas.

Editorial Reviews

2024-08-03
A young child is a very picky eater.

Baby Sebastian’s critical of the meals his parents serve and has developed a rating system: He awards meals one to five binkies, depending on whether they meet his exacting standards. The fancy restaurant his parents take him to is a one-binky experience: The highchair’s too tight, and Sebastian gets cranky listening to the waiter drone on about the specials. Time for a kid-friendly eatery, where they cook noodles similar to those that Sebastian’s parents make. OK, three binkies. Next day, when Mom and Dad serve Sebastian a favorite, though imperfect, dish, he recognizes a “special ingredient he had not noticed before—his family’s tender loving care.” The meal wins Sebastian’s highest rating: the coveted five binkies. Many parents will recognize Sebastian’s dining idiosyncrasies: He dislikes foods touching each other, and certain textures and consistencies bother him. Children old enough to appreciate the humor, however, may not relate to a story about a baby’s fussy eating habits. It’s also unclear why Sebastian suddenly learns to appreciate his parents’ efforts when the meals they’ve provided have always reflected their love; the story’s optimistic conclusion feels a bit like wish fulfillment for caregivers. The energetic illustrations were created from various media, including pastel, crayon, marker, colored pencil, spray paint, chalk, book pages, and old photos. Chubby, expressive Sebastian and his mom are brown-skinned, while his dad has pale skin.

An offering that little ones likely won’t gobble up.(Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews