My new kids book “What’s for Dinner Cockroach?” is now live and available on Amazon!
For Amazon USA click here. For Amazon Canada click here. If you are from a different Amazon marketplace, just search the title.
Why I wrote this book?
I wrote this book because I wanted to give caregivers a chance to learn about how to create supportive meal environments in a way that was fun and easy.
When my two year old starting having big emotions, I didn’t have time read a textbook on parenting and how to help them. I was sleep deprived, working full time, trying to keep myself and my tiny humans alive all while trying to do the right thing.
So, I turned to my daycare’s scholastic catalogue. I bought books written for children that I could read with my sons. These books discussed emotion, normalized them and gave us ideas on how to manage them. Perfect! But, the books we read the most, were the ones that were funny! Because about 90% of our families’ book selection is done by my sons.
As a parent and dietitian, I am frequently asked by clients, friends and family members, how to help our kids eat better. Or what to do about picky eating. And since family story time worked for my family when have faced other challenges, I decided to see if there was a similar book for nutrition.
But, much to my surprise, I couldn’t find a single book I wanted to recommend. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t lots of books about nutrition for kids. But I noticed most of them focused on an over-simplified message of getting kids to eat more vegetables.
And while, I think eating vegetables is important, this isn’t the message I want parents or children to take away about how to feed kids in a healthy way. The first step in feeding our kids (and ourselves – I might add!) is building a healthy relationship with food. And books that simply encourage kids to eat more vegetables, don’t teach parents or children evidence-based strategies to build healthy relationships with food.
In fact, sometimes the messages in these books can erode a child’s innate sense of their healthy food relationship. And even worse, undermine parent’s and caregiver’s confidence in feeding their children.
What makes this book different?
This book isn’t about WHAT to eat, this book is about HOW to eat.
I intentionally chose a character that was a Cockroach. I intentionally gave my bug foods to eat that aren’t what humans eat. And by doing that, I created a book that makes kids laugh (because the idea of eating dung and flies makes my kids laugh hysterically). And it takes away the pressure on caregivers that says if it isn’t a vegetable, it isn’t good enough.
Additionally, this book carries the Ellyn Satter Institute seal of approval. (A big THANK YOU to my review team at Ellyn Satter!) Ellyn Satter is the foremost, leading expert on feeding children. Her institute provides resources of health care providers and caregivers to help children and adults create, maintain and restore healthy relationships with food.
Who is this book for?
This book is for everyone who is involved in feeding children – parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers, family members, everyone! Because all of us have a role to play to our children’s meal environments.
What’s next?
This book is just the first in a series that I have written about creating healthy meal environments for our kids! Now that this first book is launched, I can start getting the illustrations, editing and formatting done on my next one – “Bartholomew Wants a Snack”.
In this story, Bartholomew is being offered meals and snacks on his caregiver’s schedule but isn’t eating them. Then, five minutes later asks for a snack! (We have all been there, haven’t we?!). What do his caregiver’s do? What will Bartholomew eat? Join me for the next installment of my Kids Book Series – coming soon!
Want to know more about me and my approach to feeding my family?
Check out my blog series “What’s for Dinner Picards?” where I share a whole month of dinner’s made and shared with my family. All the details on what my kids ate and didn’t eat shared!