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Prather’s Pick: A children’s book about food allergies

Diane Prather

Last week while I was looking for books that celebrate mothers, I came upon two more picture books, and they’re great. I’m featuring them this week before I set my notes aside and lose them. The first book deals with a child’s needs, and the second one is just plain fun. Both books can be found in the children’s room at the Craig branch of the Moffat County Libraries.

Lots of books are being written today to help children deal with various issues. “Peanut-Free Tea for Three” is intended for kids with food allergies or perhaps to inform kids about allergies. It was written by Heather Mehra and Kerry McManama and illustrated by Michael Kline. The book was published in 2009 by Parent Books, Inc.

The characters in the book belong to the No Biggie Bunch, which got its name because the young people “handle the social challenges of food allergies with poise and panache.” Instead of focusing on medications and what foods they can eat, the kids in the No Biggie Bunch focus on “allergen-free celebrations and smart preparation.”



There are six kids in the No Biggie Bunch, five of whom have food allergies and one girl who has no food allergies. The story in this book features three of the children.

As the story begins, Greta and Paige have arrived at Eliot’s house for a dress-up tea party. Each of them carries a No Biggie Bag. Inside the bags are their costumes — an astronaut’s helmet for Greta, a princess crown for Paige, and a cowboy hat for Eliot.



Eliot’s bag has the makings for the tea party — tin cups and juice, egg-free rice cakes, and a jar of jelly. Eliot pours juice and offers them rice cakes. But Greta says they shouldn’t use the jelly. Paige is allergic to peanuts, and what if some peanuts were left in the jar after someone made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Paige planned ahead, though. She reaches into her bag and brings out a jar of strawberry jelly.

What a great book to share with kids — both with and without allergies. The hardcover book costs $14.99.

The second book is Michael Ian Black’s “Cock-A-Doodle-Doo Bop.” The book was illustrated by Matt Myers.

The story begins on a farm one early, still-dark morning when everyone, including animals and a boy are fast asleep. A rooster is up, however, because it’s his job to wake up the sun. But this morning the rooster, wearing dark glasses, decides to sing something other than “Cock-A-Doodle-Do.”

Rooster blasts out “Scat-Scat-Doo-Wop-Bop-Biddly-Doo-Wop-Doo-Wop-Bop-Bop-BOP!”

The racket shakes the boy out of his bed. He takes his lantern outside where he meets the rooster. The boy wants to know what happened to “Cock-A-Doodle-Do.”

The rooster says he didn’t feel like it this morning, but the boy protests. The sun won’t know it’s time to come up.

A comical-looking cow with a bell around her neck comes out and protests, too. So the rooster tries another number, beginning with “Budda-Scoo-Bop-Bop,” but the sun still doesn’t come up. The boy is worried that it may stay dark forever.

The rooster tries a trumpet solo, too. It brings other animals out of the barn but has no effect on the sun. But then the boy and animals come up with a hilarious solution.

This is a funny, funny book that will have kids singing “Doo-Wop-Bop,” too. Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, the hardback book costs $17.99.


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