I Love Chocolate / by Davide Cali ; illustrated by Evelyn Daviddi-- New York: Tundra Books, c2009. Original published in Italy, c2001. (28 pages) CURRICULUM-CHOCOLATE

SUMMARY: What's not to like about chocolate? It smells good and tastes even better. In I LOVE CHOCOLATE, readers will experience the taste, smell, and color of the world's most beloved treat through the eyes of a child. Whether you savor it slowly or devour it with gusts, readers will appreciate - and crave- the content in this yummy book that is perfect for children...and grown-ups too. (book jacket)

REVIEW: I like chocolate so of course I liked this book. The best part was that somehow you got to experience chocolate by reading a book. It covers every subject -- the feel of chocolate, the different colors of chocolate, the emotions (both good and bad) that draw us to chocolate, and the different ways to eat it. The bad part is that there is a lot of eating chocolate, all day every day, if you can see this in moderation not a bad read for kids.

FURTHER FUN: 1) Discuss how different people you know eat chocolate- fast, slow, dainty, messy. 2) Discuss the different types of chocolates and if possible have a taste test of different brands and kinds.

After re-reading, I still liked it just not as much as the first time. So reduced stars from five to four. Story ends abruptly. (10/07/19) However, still a selected title for my book LEARNING WITH CHOCOLATE (A Homeschool Curriculum for the Whole Family) ( )

"I Love Chocolate" is a Western European children's book that details the love of chocolate to a little boy. Throughout the book the child details every reason under the sun as to why he loves chocolate. He loves to eat chocolate and he loves to share his chocolate. He eats it when he is having a bad day and he eats it when he is having a good day. The only problem for this kid is when he eats too much because it hurts his stomach.

http://www.wilkinsfarago.com.au ( )

Cali, D. (2009). I Love Chocolate. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books of Northern New York.

9780887769122

Originally written in Italian and published in Italy, it is clear that the narrator of this gentle story loves chocolate. I mean, LOVES chocolate. There is some serious lust for chocolate here. (And who could blame him? I mean. really.)

The writing is poetic and well composed. The art is pleasant and neutral with a lot of browns to reinforce the main subject. The one flaw is that I Love Chocolate does not really address the dangers of eating too much chocolate and even presents it as an option for dealing with an upsetting experience. A teacher or parent may have to remind some young readers of the advantages of moderation or exercise.

Activities to do with the book:

This book could trigger a discussion of favorite foods and a lesson on how to express love for that food in the form of a poetic essay.

Students could also tell stories about events in which they ate a lot of chocolate.

Favorite Quotes:

“I love chocolate when it’s full of surprises. You have to take a bite to find out what’s inside.”

“Are you a dainty chocolate dabbler? Or a monster muncher?”

For more of my reviews, visit sjkessel.blogspot.com.