Too Much Picnic

Too Much Picnic Book Review By Chrissa Ventrelle As parents, we try logic, discipline, and even bribery to encourage our children to make healthy food choices. Despite our efforts, the Center for Disease Control reports that the number of overweight children in the U.S. has tripled since 1980. Perhaps a wiser alternative to our ceaseless cajoling is for our children to read Peter Honigsberg's imaginative tale, Too Much Picnic. In Honigsberg's third children's book, we meet the loveably gluttonous Cocoa Mole as he heads to a community picnic complete with tasty treats like wiggle-worm sandwiches and beetle crackers. Cocoa foolishly gorges himself with second and third helpings of Mama Squirrel's nut bread and Mr. Fox's wild mushroom pizza and soon suffers from a miserable bellyache. As his animal friends play and swap stories, Cocoa falls into a dreamy sleep where a fantastical journey with three Munchie Monkeys teaches him the repercussions of overindulgence. Honigsberg takes the universal experience of overeating and adds a dash of fantasy to engage kids in thinking about healthy eating. Unlike so many children's books that rely on a preachy formulaic tone, Honigsberg teaches gently without skimping on Cocoa's dreamy journey. This makes Too Much Picnic a nice compliment to a nonfiction title that focuses more on the nitty-gritty of healthy eating. The memorable illustrations by Ryan Jones are even richer than the homemade cream that Mother Fox brings to the picnic. Children will delight in the playful illustrations, like one where Cocoa sits on the edge of a giant chocolate bundt cake surrounded by decadent desserts. Jones' whimsical style enhances the dreaminess of this story and reflects the talent and humor of this first-time illustrator. Children ages 4-8 will devour Too Much Picnic. Parents will find them pulling this book off the shelf more than once.

At the community picnic one Cocoa Mole gets to eat as much as he wants: so he does. Then it's time to play - but he's too full, and falls asleep instead where he journeys into the world of dreams. Ryan Jones' drawings are exquisite and fun additions to the story of a greedy mole who discovers it's more fun to be with friends than to stuff himself!

This is a fantastic book. I send it to all my friends' children and they love it because it is beautifully illustrated and funny. My friends say they actually enjoy reading it to their children because they keep spotting clever little quips in the writing. It's about time someone wrote a children's book that encourages dialogue on the important topic of children & overeating.

How fortunate I was in my job to have received an advance copy of this wonderful book. As parents we have all slogged through other children's books with stories that adults can hardly tolerate. Here, you'll find the text as compelling for adults as it is enjoyable for the younger ones. The message is far from overbearing, yet one cannot help but be moved by the important point. And, on the topic of that ageless and timeless message, it is high time that someone broke through the wall of fear that typically, but unnecessarily, shields this topic from open discourse. I've mentioned this book to both of my sisters who each have children, and they cannot wait to get their own copies. I'm buying another one for my son's school's library. The artwork is also fun for children. I can best sum up my thoughts with this ironic twist - I just can't get enough of "Too Much Picnic." Read it yourself, and you'll understand why.

This book is so much fun and so entertaining that children will not even notice that there is a message behind the lively story. The illustrations are fantastic - clever, colorful and creative. A must for all young families!