Picky Nicky
Picky Nicky is a whimsical picture book that has
simple words with pictures telling the story. The book includes flash cards
to make learning easy and fun for toddlers and beginner readers.
The title says it all. Picky Nicky refuses to eat the dinner her mom and dad
cooked. She would rather eat "bees and parrots" than peas and carrots, or "apes and bears" rather
than grapes and pears. She wants to eat spaghetti at her friend Freddy's house.
When she goes to Freddy's for dinner, she finds out that along with the spaghetti,
Freddy's mom is serving: peas, carrots, grapes, and pears. Picky Nicky has no
choice, so she decides to take a spoon of each and put them under her spaghetti,
and she eats it all. She tells her family that now she will eat anything as long
as she can hide it under her spaghetti.
This book addresses the struggle parents have with picky eaters, and teaches kids social skills. Sometimes kids will eat foods at their friend's house, or other environments, that they will not eat at home. Sometimes it is a good idea to allow them to make good decisions on their own.
After reading this book with your child:
Picky Nicky by Cathy East Dubowski and Mark Dubowski. Grosset & Dunlap, New York: 1996.
Yolanda Fielder is a Master's candidate in Nutritional Science. After completing her internship and education she will be qualified to sit for the Commission of Dietetics Registry Exam to become a Registered Dietitian.