Just Two More Bites!

July 24, 2006
Pediatric nutritionist and first-time author Piette provides a concise and helpful guide to parents of young children who are picky about what they'll eat. She advocates a whole child approach, arguing that several factors influence children who fuss, including development; biology; personality and life experience; family, friends and peers; and society. A chapter dedicated to helping parents separate what is normal from what should raise alarms is an informative prelude to Piette's strategies for helping children eat, from babies who may need help learning to suck and chew, to willful preschoolers who go through stages of interest and disgust at new foods, to dealing with a child who has learned to vomit at will. Nutritionally balanced recipes designed to appeal to young palates, additional reading suggestions and an eating habits quiz round out the book. Piette's accessible writing makes this an excellent supplement to any program a parent has begun with a pediatric nutritionist.

Starred review from July 1, 2006
Here is a formidable, easy-to-read guide full of great solutions and resources for parents having difficult mealtimes with their picky infants and preschoolers. Piette's many years of experience as a pediatric nutritionist and a dietitian especially shine in her extended coverage of toddlerhood, the age when picky eating manifests itself the most owing to the independence-seeking character of toddlers. Therein lies the great asset of this book -Piette parallels eating habits with developmental psychology, demonstrating how development influences behavior. Parents of -normal - kids -that is, kids not suffering from a disease that prevents them from eating well -should ignore fussy behaviors, not offer different foods every time one is rejected, and should set clear limits about mealtime behaviors, Piette advises. Picky eating is not a problem until growth is affected. That's when parents should seek professional help. Also addressed are parents of children with disabilities. Ultimately, Piette's message of not giving too much importance to food refusal while taking eating seriously is well communicated. Highly recommended for all public libraries." -Maryse Breton, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, MI"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.