The King's Taster

Max, the dog, ate very well. He ate like a king because his master was a royal chef and he got to taste all the food even before the king did. Of course he had to test it to make sure it wasn't poisoned or anything like that. If he was lucky he got to scarf up whatever leftovers the young king couldn't manage, but one day they "got a brand-new king" and things started to change. The chef whopped and chopped and whipped and made all kinds of tasty dishes. "It was a feast fit for a king" and Max was just licking his chops! YUM! But wait a minute, something was wrong. The new king just played with his food and threw it on the floor saying, "I will not eat this food." Oh, my! The chef was pulling out his hair and decided he would have to get some new recipes. He traveled to France and brought back some French fries. No go, but Max certainly enjoyed them. He went to Italy and brought back some pizza. No go, but Max certainly enjoyed it. That new king was something else when he kept saying things like, "I will not eat this food." What would the chef do? Oh, wait a minute . . . there was a reason the King didn't eat the chef's tasty food! This is an adorable book that every parent with a picky eater is going to love, to say nothing of the picky eater. This book will fit the appetite of anyone from a French fry eater to a pizza fan (no liver, please!). The art work is fun and the adventures of Max and his master, the chef, are delightful. If you have a picky eater in your family or one with a delicious sense of humor, you'll love this one!

Reviewed by Brooke James (age 5) and Mom for Reader Views (4/09) "The King's Taster" by Kenneth Oppel is about a dog named Max. He isn't just any dog; he is the king's taster. He gets to taste all the food that his owner, the king's cook, makes for the king to make sure it isn't poisoned. One day, they got a brand new king who happens to be a young boy. The cook made a feast, but the king would not eat it. So, Max and the cook travel around the world looking for new recipes (pizza, French fries, tacos). Max thought all the new recipes were delicious, but the king would not eat any of them. The king wanted to chop off the king's head. Max did not understand why the king wouldn't eat any of the cook's food! Will Max discover why the king doesn't eat his dinner? Read "The King's Taster" to find out the interesting ending to this story. Mom says, "Tell me about the book." Brooke says, "I liked the book because I love dogs. I thought the king was a bad little boy." Mom says, "Did you like anything else?" Brooke says, "I really liked the pictures." Mom says, "What was your favorite part?" Brooke says, "I loved it when the cook got his own restaurant." Mom says, "Did the book teach you anything?" Brooke says, "Don't eat too much junk because you will get too full on junk and not eat your dinner!" Parent's comments: I knew Brooke would love this book because she loves animals (especially dogs). She was pretty amused by the king when he would say his food was bad without even tasting it. When we both realized why he was doing this, it was a big "aha" moment! I just love books with teaching opportunities in them! We talked about how badly the king was behaving. We also talked about eating too much junk food. This was great because Brooke has a tendency to eat too much candy. So, this was a wonderful opportunity in a very entertaining way to teach her about the problems with filling her tummy with junk! Overall, "The King's Taster" by Kenneth Oppel was very entertaining and educational. Even if parents don't use it as a lesson, kids will still love this book.