FUSSY FREYA
by Katharine Quarmby & illustrated by Piet Grobler
When Freya decides to become a finicky eater, it takes clever Grandma Clare to find a cure. Freya always had an “appetite as fine as fine could be,” devouring her greens and gobbling her fish—until the day her mum serves dhal and rice and suddenly Freya refuses to eat. The next day she rejects bacon with baked beans and sausages and gravy, upsetting her mum. The following day, Freya tosses her fish on the floor, freaking out her mum and dad. Worried Freya is getting too thin after turning down her favorite foods, Freya’s mum packs her off to Grandma Clare. Wily Freya tells Grandma Clare she wants giraffe, warthog, monkey and brown bear for tea, figuring Grandma will ply her with lollipops and sweeties. But when tea is served, Freya gets exactly what she deserves and is soon begging for butter on brown bread. Lightheartedly loose line-and-watercolor illustrations packed with fanciful culinary details showcase Freya’s temperamental taste and capricious behavior and match the whimsical verse. Savory fare for fussy eaters. (Picture book. 3-7)