Review by Booklist Review
The most important meal of the day gets a moment to shine in this slim ode to breakfast. The sun rises first in Australia, where Vegemite on toast is the morning food of choice. Next, on to Tokyo for natto (soured soybeans), Shanghai for ci fan tuan (savory rice balls), and northern India for parathas (fried flatbread). As the sun's rays warm the globe, we follow it to Israel, Nigeria, the Netherlands, England, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, and the U.S. Each two-page spread begins with a jaunty rhyme to introduce the breakfast item with a little commentary about its flavors: hot and crunchy fritters in Nigeria, delicious chocolate sprinkles in the Netherlands, sweet and silky café de manha (morning coffee) in Brazil. The adjacent pages provide expository descriptions of the meals and any salient cultural breakfast traditions. Also included are maps of the countries and colorful renderings of iconic geographic details (such as flags and buildings), large plates of food, and happy, healthy children at work and play. A cute book with a relevant message.--Amina Chaudhri Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A roundup of traditional breakfast foods from around the world.Brimming with foodsthere's Australia's Vegemite on toast, Jamaica's cornmeal porridge, and hagleslag (chocolate sprinkles) in the Netherlandsthis colorful tome is a fun tribute to global foods and cultures. Each of the 12 countries has a dedicated two-page spread. One page is written in rhyme while the second page offers descriptions and cultural details in prose. Unfortunately, McGinty's stunted rhymes break up the flow and detract from the book's true potential. "Breakfast in Australia / is a black and salty paste. / Thinly spread on toasted bread / It's quite a shocking taste!" Most disappointing? McGinty loses a huge opportunity to encapsulate "breakfast around the world" by ignoring the plurality of America's multicultural population. Americans don't all eat bagels, cereal, or eggs and bacon for breakfast! Thank goodness for Suzuki's playful illustrations. Attentive readers will spot lovely details beyond just food; the cultures themselves are on show, particularly how children live and play in other countries. Larger-than-life pictures of congee and shakshuka are flanked by fruit, flora and fauna, famous landmarks and symbols, as well as diverse children in everyday settings. The book also highlights different eating habits. For example, families in India gather on the floor to eat off banana leaves with fingers instead of silverware.The concept's basically sound, and despite flaws, the book could be useful when combined with other resources. (map) (Informational picture book. 4-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
