I Get So Hungry <small><br> by Bebe Moore Campbell, illus. by Amy Bates </small>

Addressing A Weighty Issue...

Nikki just can’t stop eating when she starts. And she eats when she feels sad or angry or lonely. She knows the other kids call her Thicky Nikki, but that just makes her eat more. Campbell’s book addresses real and relevant issues in a sensitive way for her audience—and there aren’t enough books out there on the topic that do.

Nikki is a bright child whose eating habits at home and at school have helped make her overweight—like her mom and teacher. Even when the doctor examines Nikki and tells her mom “no more junk food”, the mother agrees with him—then offers to get doughnuts on the way home for them to share. It’s only when Nikki notices that her teacher has given up her snacks and started working out that she has the courage to try it herself, and to coax her mom into following her example. The result is that Nikki doesn’t become a “Skinny Minny” but she does become a healthy weight, and gains confidence in herself. Books like these tend to be a bit preachy no matter how things are coached, but the author has done a good job of creating the sort of scenarios many of these kids are up against in their homes and lives, and puts the power in their hands to start making the difference, even if it’s small steps. There’s no magic solution—just a lot of hard work and struggle to make the changes in life necessary. Nikki doesn’t have access to lots of healthy foods and a gym, but she cuts out the junk food and starts walking around the school with her teacher in the mornings and around the block with her mother later. These are solutions that any child can begin to work on themselves, to make their own choice to be healthier.

The text is appropriate for reading to grade school children—it would likely be too long for a younger audience, but the story isn’t too text heavy that 1st or second graders to listen to, or even start to read themselves. The illustrations are wonderfully realistic. The portrayal of the African-American characters is done with skill and elegance, the pastels providing a range of rich skin tones, and a softer edge to the images. I love the fact that even portrayed as overweight, Nikki comes across as a beautiful girl in her own right—it decries the idea that overweight automatically equals ugly.

While this story isn’t going to be appropriate for all children in all situations, it addresses an important issue that there just aren’t enough books about. The book is dedicated to Bebe Moore Campbell, who died in 2006. It was her hope that “all children would get the encouragement and support they needed to combat the problem of childhood obesity.” I think this book is a good start to doing just that!

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

I Get So Hungry

Word Count: 1,182
Hardcover: 32 pages

Accelerated Reading level: 2.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 122392