Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods
 Book cover | |
| Author | G.G. Lake |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Take Your (Equally Horrible) Pick |
| Genre | Children's literature Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Capstone Press |
Publication date | 2017 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 978-1-5157-4470-2 |
Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods is a 2017 children's non-fiction book by G.G. Lake. The book discusses a variety of food and drink from around the world that it describes as "disgusting", asking readers which of two choices they would prefer to consume.
In February 2020, Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods was criticized on Twitter, where users said that its contents were racist and culturally insensitive. Publisher Capstone Press announced in response that it would withdraw the book from sale.
Synopsis
[edit]Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods asks readers: "What if all you had to eat were disgusting foods? Which would you pick?" The book presents a series of choices between two foods or drinks, including a short description of both items and their geographical origin. At the end of the book, the foods are reorganized into different pairs, and readers are asked which they would prefer in a particular situation (such as "at breakfast", "lunch on summer vacation", or "on a cold winter's night").
The 22 foods and drinks included in the book are:
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Background
[edit]Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods is part of Capstone Press' "Take Your (Equally Horrible) Pick" series, which invites readers to "investigate the scariest and grossest things you can imagine with this fun set of facts! If you had to choose, which would you pick?" Other books in the series include Take Your Pick of Haunted Places, Take Your Pick of Monster Encounters, and Take Your Pick of Survival Situations.
Publication history
[edit]Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods was published in 2017.[1]
In February 2020, University of Alaska Anchorage psychology professor E.J. Ramos David criticized Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods on Twitter for the book's inclusion of muktuk (whale blubber, usually eaten raw by Arctic peoples) and balut (fertilized bird eggs with partially developed embryos, eaten whole as a popular street food in Southeast Asia). David said that the book was teaching his children, who had mixed Filipino and Athabaskan ancestry, that "their cultures are disgusting."[1][2] David's tweet quickly gained traction, with other Twitter users calling out the book's contents for being racist.[2]
In response, publisher Capstone Press agreed with David's criticism of Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods, writing on Twitter that "we are taking steps to remove it from active sale." Capstone explained that the book's focus on "topics that are gross and disgusting" was part of an effort to "reach reluctant readers", but that "cultures and traditions never fit this description and the myopic view that produced this book is inexcusable."[1][2][3] David praised the publisher's decision and said that the book could have contributed to teasing, bullying, and cultural insensitivity.[2][3]
Reception
[edit]The American Library Association included Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods on its 2020 list of banned and challenged books in U.S. libraries, schools, and universities.[4]
Take Your Pick of Disgusting Foods was listed as a "Popular Digital Nonfiction Read" for sixth graders in the 2020 version of Renaissance Learning's report "What Kids Are Reading".[5] In an analysis of Renaissance's report, Jay Mathews wrote in The Washington Post that the book's title was a sign that "publishers sometimes seemed desperate to attract young readers".[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Novio, Eunice Barbara C. (March 2, 2020). "Alaska professor calls out a children's book as 'racist'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 30, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Oliver, Shady Grove (February 27, 2020). "Alaska father speaks out after his kids find traditional dishes listed in book of 'disgusting' foods". Anchorage Daily News. Archived from the original on April 30, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ a b Grove, Casey (February 26, 2020). "LISTEN: Publisher pulls book after accusations of racism around traditional foods". Alaska Public Media. Archived from the original on May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Banned & Challenged Books" (PDF). American Library Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "What Kids Are Reading 2020 Edition" (PDF). Renaissance Learning. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ Mathews, Jay (December 12, 2020). "Will my grandkids still love me if I buy them nonfiction?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
