The Prince's Breakfast

The king's evident enjoyment of every new flavor as unfamiliar foods and their names are introduced makes this effort worth sampling for those fussy little diners.

The young royal who refused sleep in 2006's The Prince's Bedtime turns out to be a picky eater, too: "He sipped his hot chocolate; he ate his toast dry./ But to all other offerings, he said, 'No, not I.' " The king and queen whisk their son on an around-the-world journey to find foods that suit his taste, but from dosas in Agra to congee in Shanghai, nothing works. Oppenheimer's lively rhymes and Latimer's equally spirited cartooning are entirely in step, and the solution is one that even parents without a royal budget can embrace (think Heinz). Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey narrates the story on an accompanying CD. Ages 3-7. (Mar.)

PreS-K--The little prince is a finicky eater whose royal parents will do anything to get him to eat and grow. They embark on an extended journey, visiting several exotic locales where the best chefs prepare their finest dishes. In every instance, the young prince refuses to taste the new foods, until the travelers happen upon an African man with a bottle of red sauce that magically makes everything taste delicious--ketchup! The richly colored and detailed illustrations will attract readers of all ages, but the unusual and specific food vocabulary might make this story a bit more challenging for budding independent readers if the read-along CD is not used. Hugh Bonneville (of Downton Abbey fame)narrates with a delightful array of voices and accents for the various characters, accompanied by fun background music and sound effects. Track 1 provides a fun, fulfilling listening lesson for young students, even without the accompanying picture book, while track 2 is a true read-along with clear cues and plenty of time allowed for turning pages.--Tara Hixon, Cashion Public Schools, OK