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Summary
Summary
If we are what we eat, Americans are hot dogs.
We ate them on the way to the moon and served them to the king of England. We name a Hot Dog Eating Champ! Garnished with hilarious illustrations and amazing "foodie" facts, this kid-friendly, globe-spanning history of our favorite fast-food meal offers unique insight into America's multicultural heritage. From a hobo's franks-and-beans to astronaut food, there's more to the wiener--and what's for dinner--than you think.
Author Notes
Adrienne Sylver grew up in Ohio, where she rooted for the Cleveland Indians and learned to appreciate a good stadium hot dog. A reporter, she lives in Miami with her family.
Elwood H. Smith studied art at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and now lives with his wife in Rhinebeck, New York.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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's 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 "salty fish sauce called `ketsiap'Å" from China). The book does note that hot dogs aren't nutritionally ideal and asks readers to contemplate hot dogs of the future ("How about a healthy celery dog...?"). An energetic combination of history and food for thought. Ages 5-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
This exuberant look at the 523-year-old (give or take) hot dog provides a historical backdrop to the economical, no-fuss food. The text describes the frank's evolution from sausage and examines its enduring popularity. One senses that Sylver and Smith, who supplies gag-filled cartoony art, could make the history of lint entertaining. Sidebars share additional facts; two recipes are included. Reading list, websites. Bib. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
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 that is, readers through 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.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
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 madeegads!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 historyit may well be the hoariest of junk foods; Homer knew about sausages and slipped them into the Odysseyand 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 galoreFrankfurt, 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)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
