Pass the Pandowdy, Please

A tempting tasting platter of foods and eating customs in diverse times and places.As there are no actual menus and but one informal recipe, these introductions to 16 historical figures (10 of whom are white Europeans or Americans) are more quick snacks than sustained repasts for dedicated foodies. Still, they do convey a sense of where select foods originated and how they traveled--around the world and also beyond. Speaking for themselves, Cleopatra and Sacagawea, Moctezuma, Hokusai, Martin Luther King Jr., Babe Ruth, Neil Armstrong, and the rest summarize their general accomplishments alongside parallel but somewhat more food-oriented third-person commentary and a colorful caricature of the subject usually, but not invariably, at table. Along with observations that Cleopatra would have been served stork, that Napoleon was a messy eater, and like tidbits, readers will come away with some significant morsels of history, such as the role Columbus played in introducing avocados, corn, and beans to Europe and oranges, coffee, and sugar cane to North and South America. Along with a generous dollop of further reading (for adults), the final section dishes up more detail about each of the distinguished diners plus a timeline strewn with factual croutons, from the publication of the first printed cookbook (1465) to the introduction of Lunchables. Not so much a history of food as history with food--a way of adding a bit of spice to general studies of the past. (Nonfiction. 9-11) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2016

Gr 2-5-This charming and ambitious selection unites unlikely figures such as Babe Ruth, Queen Victoria, Cleopatra, and Neil Armstrong through the food they enjoyed. Each chapter consists of a spread made up of an amusing watercolor caricature and two blocks of text. Sixteen figures from different time periods are profiled in this slim volume. "Dining with da Vinci" and "A Napkin for Napoleon" are two examples of the alliterative chapter headings. Humor and historical information abound in this impressively researched work that contains substantial back matter for those still hungry for more facts, including even a pandowdy recipe. VERDICT Savor this approach to food history-it's a real treat!-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

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