ALA Booklist (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Here's an upbeat look at 16 significant historical figures through a colorful thematic lens: food. Yes, they all ate, but each had a different diet depending on available ingredients, customs of their times, and personal needs and preferences. Readers will learn that Cleopatra regarded pickles as a beauty enhancer, that Lincoln was very fond of apples in pandowdy and other dishes, and that Gandhi used fasting as a means of protesting injustice and bringing about change. Each individual is presented on a double-page spread including a few paragraphs of biographical and food-related information as well as a small-print, first-person section written from the biographee's point of view. About half the space is devoted to colorful and often humorous line-and-wash caricatures. The back matter includes a recipe for "A Nice Pandowdy." Consider this book more of an appetizer or a side dish than a main course, as kids may sometimes lack the background knowledge to understand the historical context. An entertaining addition to history collections.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Sixteen historic figures and their diets are highlighted in this quirky approach to food history. Arranged chronologically and including a diverse assortment of subjects--from Cleopatra to Sacagawea to Neil Armstrong--each spread includes factual information, a caricature portrait, and a first-person segment highlighting a more anecdotal aspect of the subject's life. Additional biographical information and a recipe are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib.

Kirkus Reviews

A tempting tasting platter of foods and eating customs in diverse times and places.As there are no actual menus and but one informal recipe, these introductions to 16 historical figures (10 of whom are white Europeans or Americans) are more quick snacks than sustained repasts for dedicated foodies. Still, they do convey a sense of where select foods originated and how they traveled-around the world and also beyond. Speaking for themselves, Cleopatra and Sacagawea, Moctezuma, Hokusai, Martin Luther King Jr., Babe Ruth, Neil Armstrong, and the rest summarize their general accomplishments alongside parallel but somewhat more food-oriented third-person commentary and a colorful caricature of the subject usually, but not invariably, at table. Along with observations that Cleopatra would have been served stork, that Napoleon was a messy eater, and like tidbits, readers will come away with some significant morsels of history, such as the role Columbus played in introducing avocados, corn, and beans to Europe and oranges, coffee, and sugar cane to North and South America. Along with a generous dollop of further reading (for adults), the final section dishes up more detail about each of the distinguished diners plus a timeline strewn with factual croutons, from the publication of the first printed cookbook (1465) to the introduction of Lunchables. Not so much a history of food as history with food-a way of adding a bit of spice to general studies of the past. (Nonfiction. 9-11)

School Library Journal (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 2-5 This charming and ambitious selection unites unlikely figures such as Babe Ruth, Queen Victoria, Cleopatra, and Neil Armstrong through the food they enjoyed. Each chapter consists of a spread made up of an amusing watercolor caricature and two blocks of text. Sixteen figures from different time periods are profiled in this slim volume. "Dining with da Vinci" and "A Napkin for Napoleon" are two examples of the alliterative chapter headings. Humor and historical information abound in this impressively researched work that contains substantial back matter for those still hungry for more facts, including even a pandowdy recipe. VERDICT Savor this approach to food historyit's a real treat! Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT