Macaroni and Cheese, Hot Dogs and Peas

Macaroni and Cheese, Hot Dogs and Peas by Christine Hickson is a fun and cute way to help kids understand why we say grace and thank God for our food. Written in rhyme, the book begins with a young girl asking: "When I eat dinner, My mom and dad say, 'Let's thank the Lord of our food today.' And I would...but, What I want to know, please, Is what does GOD have to do with my Macaroni and cheese?" Her macaroni (illustrated with a friendly face by Ed Koehler) explains he started out as wheat growing in a field; a farmer cut him down and made him into flour, which was then used to make the macaroni. Then the cheese speaks up, explaining she started out as milk in a cow that somebody then mixed into cheese, perfect for macaroni. The girl's hot dog chimes in next, explaining he started out as part of a pig, then a butcher made him into a weiner. The girl says she finds all this interesting, but still wants to know how God fits into it all. So her peas explain. They say God made them a seed first; then God gave them the sun and water they required to grow, and a farmer tended them lovingly, just like God takes care of the farmer and the butcher and the cows and the pigs. "Without God, not one of us would be on your plate," the peas say. Now understanding, the young girl offers up a prayer, thanking God for everything she eats, for the sun and rain, for seeds and meat, and everything he created that ended up being her hot dogs and peas "And my most favorite dish,/Macaroni and cheese!" What I Like: This is a clever way to explain how God made every single thing, and why we should thank him for our food. Koehler's illustrations are colorful and fun, adding a great deal to the text. What I Dislike: This isn't the best rhyming book I've ever read; sometimes the rhyme seems a bit forced. Still, overall, it isn't bad, and gets the point across well. Overall Rating: Very good. Kristina Seleshanko, Managing Editor Christian Children's Book Review

I've read this book to my grandkids over and over again. Now that they're able to read, they still pick it up and read it themselves. I always read it to children of friends who visit us and often give the book as a gift. Delightful poetry with a real message of Who to thank for our food -- "especially for hot dogs and peas and my most favorite dish, macaroni and cheese!"

We just read this book today, and it got my daughter's attention and kept it until the end of the book. I like the way it uses food that toddlers are normally crazy about and uses it to talk about God. I bought this for our toddler department at church, and I can't wait to read it to our beginner choir!

This is a very fun book about praying for even the most simple things, such as Mac and Cheese and the cow that produced the milk to make the cheese! It will get your child, as young as 2, to start thinking about being thankful and should make their prayer time more meaningful. Our dinner prayers have been a lot more specific since we've read this to our kids!

This is a wonderful book for children. Written in rhyme a little girl questions why she should be thankful to God for her dinner. Dinner comes alive as each portion of the menu tells how it came to be on her plate. The little girls frustration grows as she sees the progression of wheat to macaroni and grass to milk via the cow..... The pea comes up with the answer! We love the engaging rhyme and the wonderful illustrations!