Kirkus Reviews My Newest Picture Book: THE TRAVELING TACO

Fun facts for future foodies.

THE TRAVELING TACO: The Amazing and Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods
Author: Mia Wenjen
Illustrator: Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong

Review Issue Date: March 15, 2025
Online Publish Date: February 15, 2025
Publisher:Red Comet Press
Pages: 36
Price ( Hardcover ): $18.99
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 9781636551319
Section: Children’s

A brightly colored exploration of the origins and evolution of popular foods, from ice cream to pasta and pizza to french fries.

Each two-page spread introduces a different item with a short rhyme before defining the food, explaining its origins and evolution, and offering a brief fact. Occasionally, the rhyming text feels forced, and some explanations can be confusing or contradictory. The author notes that a churro is “piped sweet dough that is fried in hot oil and then sprinkled with sugar” but then later says that the Chinese youtiao doughnut is “similar to a churro, but it’s not piped, covered in sugar or dunked in chocolate.” Readers may wonder what the similarities are. Still, kids fascinated by food will find plenty to interest them—for instance, a discussion of the Jewish roots of fish and chips or how the jerk chicken we know was born when Africans in Jamaica fleeing slavery opted to prepare their meat using the smokeless pit method to avoid being detected. The crisp, full-page illustrations elucidate the text; a map at the end charts the journeys of the various foods mentioned, though it’s slightly difficult to decipher due to the low-contrast background.

Fun facts for future foodies. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

p.s. Related posts:

Cover Reveal for THE TRAVELING TACO!

21 Wonderful Multicultural Picture Books About Food

7 Food-Themed Picture Books That Offer Cultural Windows

6 Diverse Foodie Picture Books from 2022

Top 8 Picture Books Featuring Anthropomorphic Foods

8 Fabulous Food Truck Children’s Books

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