EAT YOUR PEAS, JULIUS!

Young Julius Caesar doesn’t want to eat his veggies.

A young Julius Caesar, squat, with a simple, round face, clad in a white toga and sporting a laurel, is interrupted from playing a checkerslike game with his owl companion. His father is throwing a banquet, and Julius must attend for the first time. Rhythmic, rhyming text first describes preparatory traditions, from changing into a more elaborate toga to washing his hands and feet. Children will be more fascinated, however, by the increasingly elaborate, colorfully illustrated dishes served to the finicky Julius. After the boy turns down oysters, peacock, flamingo, stuffed sow’s udders, and boiled camel’s feet, the narrator offers “a plate of sea scorpions— / a sweet custard with fish— / pig lungs stuffed with fresh figs— / veggies and brains in one dish!” The humorous buildup concludes with a relatable scene: The little Caesar may be excused once he finishes his enormous pile of peas. The illustrations maintain a kid’s perspective, with only other children’s faces visible and adult faces cut out of scenes. Julius is tan-skinned; the other children are tan- or brown-skinned. Facts about Julius Caesar and Roman eating customs wrap up the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An entertaining, giggleworthy blend of gastronomic history and fiction.