Review Detail

As a mother whose daughter (at almost 30) still eats a lot more Cheerios than most people (I was very boring when it came to snacks), I can definitely sympathize with Gertie's father. He's giving his daughter nutritious, homemade food most of the time, but once snacks sneak in, it's hard to go back. Having Gertie visit her grandmother's garden and then use the produce to cook for her friends is a great strategy, even though I don't believe that she stays away from snacks for long.

Gertie and her father, who are most likely mice, are shown hanging out with a wide variety of animals as friends, employing the picture book logic that elephants, pigs, and rabbits are all the same size. I even spotted Wilbur and his mother from this author's Carry Me! in the park scene! They engage in familiar every day activities that will resonate with young readers.

The digitally created pictures are nicely bright and cheery, and since Gertie and her father spend a lot of time outside, have a lot of green in them. The fun, bold font is easy to read, and is set apart from the illustrations so it is easy to see. There's just the right amount of words for frequent rereading should this become a favorite.

This book gave me a lot to think about when it comes to children and food, and I need to do some research on the best way to get children to understand that a constant diet of snacks isn't a great choice. Put Snack, Please on your menu of picture books along with Whittingham's Bunny Loves Beans, Mucha's Welcome to Our Table, Buzzeo's Eat Your Superpowers, and Alary's The Sun in My Tummy.