School Library Journal (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 1-3 Sylver and Smith have created the perfect browsable title about that quintessential kid food. Full of easily digestible information bites, the book takes a peek at the beginnings of these sausage tubes in ancient Rome, but really gets into the gustatory story when the hot dog hits America's shores in the 19th century. The book also loads up readers with sidebar tidbits that include riddles, stats, hot-dog nomenclature, condiment news, contests, and more. The goofy, full-color retro cartoons match the frenetic pace of the text with food, people, and critters flying, jumping, and careering across the pages. Kids who have a hunger for some facts on hot dogs will definitely want to savor this book. Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI

ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

The fact that there is so much argument about who made the first hot dog says a lot about its appeal. (If you say "frank," you're siding with the Frankfurt, Germany, contingent; if you say "wiener," you're making the folks in Vienna, Austria, happy.) This zany picture book takes eaters at is, readers rough the snack's journey from Roman pig-intestine delicacy to its modern ubiquity at ball parks, cookouts, and dinner tables. Key for the American audience is the nineteenth-century immigration that led to dog stands gaining popularity in hot spots like Coney Island. Sidebars patterned with a retro-cool look clash with the Mad magazine style cartoon art, but the visual chaos is intentional and plays into the mustard-stained mitts of the target audience. Fun facts fly fast and furious: L.A. is America's dog-hungriest city; the wiener equivalent at South African sporting events is beetroot salad. Also included are regional dog differences (get that ketchup off my Chicago Dog!), the rise of the veggie dog, recipes, and plenty of mouth-watering photos. Don't read before lunch.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This quirky picture book history of the hot dog traces its origins from ancient Roman sausage to its arrival in the U.S. (enter the hot dog bun) and beyond. Smith%E2%80%99s impish cartoon figures are pictured gobbling up dogs at a ballgame and working on a factory line cranking out links. Trivia is included on side panels (ketchup was inspired by a %E2%80%9Csalty fish sauce called %E2%80%98ketsiap%E2%80%99%E2%80%AF%E2%80%9D from China). The book does note that hot dogs aren%E2%80%99t nutritionally ideal and asks readers to contemplate hot dogs of the future (%E2%80%9CHow about a healthy celery dog...?%E2%80%9D). An energetic combination of history and food for thought. Ages 5%E2%80%938. (May)

Kirkus Reviews

How did hot dogs become so popular? asks Sylver in this popular history of the wiener. Well, it sure wasn't because folks watched how the frankfurter was made—egads!—but two words do come to mind: salt and fat. The author does note that, but she is more inclined to delve into the dog's history—it may well be the hoariest of junk foods; Homer knew about sausages and slipped them into the Odyssey— and explore their cultural relevance, from Everyman's quick, cheap, Depression-proof meal, to being knit into the fabric of baseball stadiums across the land. Accompanied by Smith's handsomely goofy, retro artwork, the narrative offers sidebars with factual tidbits galore—Frankfurt, Germany, celebrated the frankfurter's 500th birthday in 1987; the origins of Nathan's Famous and the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile; Humphrey Bogart telling it like it is: "A hot dog at the ball park is better than a steak at the Ritz"—which entertainingly meld to give the hot dog specific character. Attention is also paid to condiments: Mustard was used to treat Roman battle wounds and bathe sausages, though not at the same time. (websites, further resources, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5-8)