Delicious!

March 15, 2021
Sticky fingers, smudged faces, and full bellies--the hallmarks of good street food everywhere. Whether purchased from a street vendor in Athens, a bike vendor in Marrakech, a train station in Mumbai, one thing is universal: The mouthwatering aromas of cooking food beguile people on highways, alleyways, and byways. Larios' whimsical tribute to the comfort found in munching mandu in Seoul or chomping a churro in Oaxaca will stir memories of places far away--or right next door. These sometimes-awkward, four- to six-line poems are little bites of specific places and experiences--try a deep-fried scorpion on a stick in Beijing or the black devil's broth in Surabaya, East Java! Not so adventuresome? How about pretzels in New York or Fenway franks in Boston? Paschkis' vibrant, opaque watercolor scenes whisk readers off to an Israeli beach or a celebration in Peru. A few page turns later, and the scene is at the foot of a baobab tree in Senegal. Diverse dishes for diverse cultures. Readers will be sorry, however, there is no illustrated food glossary. In the closing "International Menu of Sweets and Treats," some dishes, such as the devil's broth, are vividly explained, but others are only names mentioned in passing--Russian pelmeni, piroshki, and blini are lumped together as "savory pastries." (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) A tasty (if slight) tour of fast-food offerings the world over. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.