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aylea's review against another edition
4.0
For Andrew Zimmern, host of the TV show Bizarre Foods, no food is too weird. In this book, he explores foods from around the world that might seem unusual to eat, such as alligator meat, brains, cockroaches, dung beetles, garlic ice cream, haggis, liver, octopus, rabbit, stuffed lamb spleen, turducken, and many others. He discusses the benefits, or lack of benefits, from each food, but then expands the information with recipes, photos, related trivia about the area it comes from; famous sayings related to the food, the area it comes from, or other fun trivia.
This book is a great way to get kids reading nonfiction. Kids will be delighted with the trivia, both the gross facts and the other fun facts that Zimmern collected in this book. The pictures and sidebars break up the information so that it doesn’t ever get too gross or too boring. Because each chapter has different kinds of trivia and information, readers learn a lot not just about food but also about culture, geography, history, vocabulary, and art. The illustrations and pictures also help break up the words to keep things entertaining for young readers. Even reluctant readers can enjoy this laugh-out-loud look at the interesting foods that are eaten all over the world.
This book is a great way to get kids reading nonfiction. Kids will be delighted with the trivia, both the gross facts and the other fun facts that Zimmern collected in this book. The pictures and sidebars break up the information so that it doesn’t ever get too gross or too boring. Because each chapter has different kinds of trivia and information, readers learn a lot not just about food but also about culture, geography, history, vocabulary, and art. The illustrations and pictures also help break up the words to keep things entertaining for young readers. Even reluctant readers can enjoy this laugh-out-loud look at the interesting foods that are eaten all over the world.
pwbalto's review against another edition
4.0
Andrew Zimmern thinks that "our biggest problem" is "practicing contempt prior to investigation. That's a fancy way to think about what happens when you tell your mom or dad you don't like a food before you've even tried it."
I cannot disagree with this sentiment. And it is way more thoughtful than I would expect from the author of a book about "weird, wild, and wonderful foods." I've never seen the guy's show - he apparently has a show - so I expected that this book was yet another catalog of EWWWWWW.
Approachable, conversational language does not diminish the authority of well-researched articles on crayfish, hot dogs (the word "buttholes" is employed and for that I thank you Andrew Zimmern), foie gras, and my personal favorite, head cheese.
The book is sidebar city, with vocabulary-inspired excursions into words beginning with 'octo,' people named Lucy, words for "fart", and buildings that look like durian fruit. Cartoony line drawings and snappy design invite browsing.
Among all the factoids and stories, Zimmern serves up a few recipes - King Cake, roasted rabbit, fake blood, and lung soup, among others.
A winner in any library.
I cannot disagree with this sentiment. And it is way more thoughtful than I would expect from the author of a book about "weird, wild, and wonderful foods." I've never seen the guy's show - he apparently has a show - so I expected that this book was yet another catalog of EWWWWWW.
Approachable, conversational language does not diminish the authority of well-researched articles on crayfish, hot dogs (the word "buttholes" is employed and for that I thank you Andrew Zimmern), foie gras, and my personal favorite, head cheese.
The book is sidebar city, with vocabulary-inspired excursions into words beginning with 'octo,' people named Lucy, words for "fart", and buildings that look like durian fruit. Cartoony line drawings and snappy design invite browsing.
Among all the factoids and stories, Zimmern serves up a few recipes - King Cake, roasted rabbit, fake blood, and lung soup, among others.
A winner in any library.
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