Review by Booklist Review
Fed up with her parents' insistence on a diet confined to prepackaged or fast food, young Matilda Macaroni determinedly hits the cookbooks, the farmers' market, and (with coaching from Grandma Macaroni) the kitchen. And just a few bites of the burgers she dishes up with mushrooms and arugula has Mom and Dad (a biracial couple in Aly's bright, cheery cartoon-style illustrations) eagerly joining her in whipping up a quiche, chowing down on chicken tikka masala, and even inviting Grandma to bring over some of her previously rejected jambalaya. Now if only I could get them to keep their room clean, Matilda concludes. Even unskeptical readers will find the suddenness of the parental about-face hard to swallow, but this sort of domestic switcheroo is always a treat for young audiences, not to mention many parents, and the narrative, laced with both mouthwatering dishes and yummy alliteration, is fun to read, particularly aloud. A recipe for spinach quiche makes a savory lagniappe to this rollicking bit of role reversal.--John Peters Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
With a twist on the typical dynamic, Matilda is tired of the six (boring) meals in her picky-eater parents' repertoire. With help from her grandma and her babysitter, Matilda learns to cook and converts her parents to fledgling foodies. Lively illustrations help serve up the humorous story's message that "We might not like everything--But we promise to try anything. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Mom and dad are picky eaters. Matilda is not. How can she convince them to try new foods? Matilda Macaroni loves to try new foods. Grandma Macaroni's jambalaya. Sushi at a friend's house. Pork paprikash at another's. However, her parents will only eat six things: chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, burgers, grilled cheese, pizza, and sugary cereal. Matilda realizes the only way she can try different foods is to take over the kitchen! With help from Grandma and her babysitter, she quickly "perfects paella, masters miso soup, and conquers croquettes." One day, she offers to make her parents dinner. Even though she makes something on their will-eat lista hamburgerthey are still skeptical. "This doesn't look like what I like," says Mr. Macaroni. "There are mushrooms on it," says Mrs. Macaroni. But once they take a bite of Matilda's hamburger, both mom and dad realize it's delicious! The Macaronis are soon on their way to cooking and eating together. Miller's delightful, topsy-turvy tale is boosted by Aly's multicultural cast of fun, cartoony characters; Matilda's biracial, with brown skin; her dad and grandma are white and her mom's brown-skinned. Their expressive faces and body language hijack the page, whether they're recoiling in disgust or smiling a smug smile of success. Readers can attempt the Macaroni family's quiche recipe in the back.A laugh-out-loud book that may have readers trying new foods as well. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
