Fussy Freya

The Sunday Age

Sunday April 6, 2008

Frances Atkinson

FUSSY FREYA

Katharine Quarmby; ills., Piet Grobler

Walker Books, $27.95

The dilemma about fussy eaters is deftly tackled in this riotous picture book about Freya, a little girl with a healthy appetite. She loves her greens, especially beans. She adores fish (even with the head on). Dahl and jasmine rice are her favourites but then, inexplicably, she decides that she'll have none of it. Dinner time, usually such a happy affair, is suddenly reduced to sulks, spills and glares. Freya's folks despair. Their little darling is turning into a right pill and, with each toss of the plate, Freya becomes more triumphant. "Send Freya to me," suggests Grandma Clare and that's when things really get interesting. Piet Grobler's illustrations capture all the tedium and humour of Freya's tea-time antics, revealing a character who's both charming and exasperating. Who knows? From now on, the threat of a trip to Grandma's might dissuade finicky eaters (insert evil cackle here).

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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