Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage To Be Who You Are

I was looking for a book with a message about it being OK to be different or to be yourself no matter what. This book had tons of good reviews and the cover illustration looked great so I bought it and gave it to my kindergartner for Christmas. He liked the picture on the front and wanted to read it, but after the first time, he never asked for it again. He had some questions when we were reading it, like "why would someone eat spaghetti in a hot dog bun?" And "why would someone else tease them about it?" And he's completely familiar with big curly hair - that's what I have. Nothing odd or funny about it to him. So, the whole premise was sort of lost on him. He didn't really see the "different-ness" of the main character. And I agreed. I mean, I got the point and all, but for a child that truly knows what it's like to be different, that spaghetti in a hot dog bun thing was sort of minor and a little meaningless. There's nothing even odd to most children in the U.S. about spaghetti or hot dog buns. Yeah, it's a weird combination, but not THAT weird. And it's likely that most children know another child with curly hair. Those are not the types of things most kids get picked on for. Doing odd, "different", things - yes. But eating spaghetti in a hot dog bun wasn't a good example. And looking different? Again, yes! But not so much just for curly hair. The story just doesn't seem real or plausible.So, for the premise and the effort and the cute picture and the ability to start a conversation, I think it's an OK book. But I think there are books out there that do a better job. For a picture book about a child who feels picked on for what she eats try Rosemary Well's " Yoko " or even " A Bad Case of Stripes [BAD CASE OF STRIPES] [Hardcover ]" by David Shannon. And for picture books about other "different-nesses" try " Chrysanthemum Big Book " by Kevin Henkes or " Chocolate Me! " by Taye Diggs.

I spend a lot of time with young children who can be cruel to those who are "different." At the same time, they have an immense capacity for empathy and kindness. One of the best ways to do this is through stories that evoke and model kind behavior. What I liked about Maria's story is that her main character is different in the ordinary, everyday ways that everyone is different. The book and sweet illustrations are a charming way to start a conversation about being different and how to handle those who have not yet learned to be kind. These are lessons all children need to learn, along with traditional intellectual skills such as reading, writing and math. Plus, Lucy's love of ketchup and spaghetti in a hot dog bun reminded me of my brother, who loved peanut butter and mustard sandwiches on white bread. He too was teased, but learned to overcome it with humor.

Cute book, like the moral of the story. Good way to let kids know it's okay to be themselves. The problem is it's a hardback book and didn't come with a slip cover. Never have received or bought a hardback without one. I returned it through Amazon explaining exactly why I was returning it and did an exchange. New book arrived promptly which was great but once again without a cover. Going to keep it anyways since we like the book itself and also, I just don't feel like doing another return to the post office.

The attractive and bright illustrations get your attention and then the story line is a good lesson in kindness and diversity. A good choice.

Based on the plot, this book should be great. A girl treats a school bully with kindness after he taunts her for her unusual food preferences. The girl even comes from a non-traditional home as she lives with her grandfather. But, that's where the good parts end. She is too afraid and embarrassed by the bullying to tell her grandfather or her teacher. What a terrible, counterproductive message to send young kids (mine are 2 and 4), particularly since bullying starts in elementary school and only gets worse with exposure to social media. The message should have been about your options for dealing with a bully, including talking to your friends, your parents, your teacher, walking away, etc. Treating everyone with kindness is a great message, but it shouldn't come at the expense of standing up for yourself. The storytelling is also subpar (it meanders boringly from school bus, to cafeteria, to playground, without any plot to go along). And, it gives young kids great fodder for doing their own bullying as the bully calls her names and says "that's stupid". My kids are in school and get plenty of exposure to name calling and timeworn exclamations without reading about them in books.

I love that this book encourages kids to be their own person. This was a cute book with great illustrations & kept the attention 0f my son.

Excellent! This book deals with learning to appreciate what others like to eat, even if it is different than would you like!

The perfect book for children of all ages/ I ordered this to help deal with a new teasing issue at preschool and it was the perfect fit. The content is fun and lighthearted while still touching on the subject of responding properly in a school setting. I would recommend this to anyone with children and have already suggested it to my close friends. The illustrations are beautiful and unique. The main character is a young girl who lives with her grandfather, there is no shaming or hostile discussion of bullying/bullies and it also covers a child's fear to tell a caregiver about these problems. On top of all that, it's just a really fun story. Enjoy!

Too American... Was looking for some good books to help build my 3-4 year old daughter s resilience to potential bullying but all these American style books seem to just suggest you can overcome bullying just by being nice to the bullies or ignoring it.. Not realistic at all

A thought provoking book which even my 4 year old understood. Recommended for those children who are made to feel that being 'different' isn't always accepted. Positive ending sees the bully changing his ways and accepting. Illustrations are hand drawn which adds to it's warmth.

Lovely easy read Highly recommend for kids bet 5-9 years four stars kids will enjoy and reinforce about being good to each other everywhere and be open. Liked everything disliked nothing - four star for story and illustrations

My son(4yrs) really likes this book. It uses American terms like recess etc. But still s good book! Nice pictures too

My kid loved this... Just needs to finish reading it...