Early Book Review: There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods by Kim Zachman, Peter Donnelly

There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods by Kim Zachman is a children's non fiction book that will be just as interesting to adults. From hot dogs and hamburgers to ice cream and pizza, this fascinating book is full of fun facts and stories of the origins of some of America's most popular foods. Why is there no ham in hamburgers? How did we make ice cream before we could make ice? How did hot dogs get their name? From the origins of pizza (which got a big boost from Clarence Birdseye, of all people) to the Cornell professor who invented chicken fingers, There's No Ham in Hamburgers has all the ingredients for an entertaining and educational middle-grade read. Packed with informative sidebars, recipes, and experiments, along with fabulously funny illustrations by Peter Donnelly, this book is a reading recipe that kids will sink their teeth into!

There's No Ham in Hamburgers was a very interesting and engaging read. Some of the stories I have heard before, mostly because there are two television series that I have watched that cover the facts and fiction of food. However, there were some stories that I do not remember having heard before. I found the illustrations to be well done, and that they added some additional fun and visual interest to the read. I thought the information was well organized and I liked that there is nutritional information, additional small facts, and recipes pertaining to each food discussed at the end of each section. I was very happy to see all of the resources used in writing the book listed, by chapter no less, so those that want to do further explorations on a specific topic can do so.