Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere! Perfect Picture Book Friday honors you and applauds all efforts to please picky eaters…

Title: Gazpacho for Nacho
Written by: Tracey Kyle
Illustrated by: Carolina Farias
Two Lions, 2014, fiction
Suitable for ages: 5-8
Lexile: AD740
Themes/topics: cooking, Spanish, picky eaters, expanding experiences

Opening:
In a big, big city by a large, busy plaza
lived a very small boy in a simple white casa.
The name of this tiny muchacho was Nacho,
And all he would eat was a soup called gazpacho.

Brief synopsis (from barnesandnoble.com)
Nacho likes to eat only one thing—gazpacho! Gazpacho for breakfast, gazpacho for lunch, gazpacho for dinner, for snacks, and for brunch. Nacho won’t even try other dishes—until he discovers miles and piles of mouthwatering vegetables at the market. This lively rhyming story, sprinkled with Spanish, will delight little chefs. A recipe for Gazpacho and a Spanish glossary are included.

Activities and Resources:
Start with the recipe in the back. Extend to more dishes from different cultures.
Share favorites. Write and illustrate the recipe and create a class book.

A perfect book to use with a bilingual class or with children learning Spanish!

Why I like this book:
Fun, fun, fun, fun – the rhymes that roll off the tongue, the impish illustrations, the lively characters, the interspersed Spanish words. And a premise involving a child who refuses most every food is one that parents will surely find amusing, even though it may not be humorous at their own dinner table….Pizza for Nitza, Grilled Cheese for Louise, Spaghetti for Freddy. We’ve all been there, right?
I love that Nacho becomes a full participant in making his favorite food. After reading this rollicking story, kids will surely want to try gazpacho, too. What a great way for “adventurous” eating to begin!

Visit author Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Books for a plethora of picture books listed by title and topic/theme, each with teacher/parent activities and resources.