‘Yummy: A History of Desserts’ (review)

Written and Illustrated by Victoria Grace Elliott 
Published by Random House Graphics

I feel like I should point out that I’m not a big dessert person.

I’m also nearly 63 years old so the new children’s graphic novel, Yummy: A History of Desserts just really isn’t meant for me.

Or is it?

You see, I am a history buff, and I like cooking, and trivia, and all of that abounds in Yummy!

Plus, I may not be a kid but it’s not like I knew 90% of this stuff (although my wife did when I shared my newfound knowledge with her. She’s awesome).

Yummy is an educational book for young readers done up in the popular graphic novel format so they won’t KNOW it’s educational.

This type of comic-format book has been around for decades and was often used for various learning, promotional, or propaganda topics in giveaways from at least the 1950s on. Not free anymore, but still a painlessly benign and—especially in this case—entertaining method used to educate.

Yummy introduces us to a trio of sprites—Peri, Fee, and Fada—who are here to share with the reader both true stories and legends behind such tasty treats as pies, cakes, cookies, ice cream, doughnuts, and gummies.

Although ostensibly about foods we know, we also learn a considerable amount of geography, ancient history, and even more than a smattering of science.

Although a more-or-less contiguous info narrative, Yummy is also segmented into Story Time, Recipes, a little sprite-style interview “show,” and some delightful comic interludes, all of which make it easier for the intended child reader to put it down and come back to it rather than try to get all the way through the volume’s nearly 250 pages. But what fun those pages are!

In the end, I feel like I’ve learned a WHOLE big bunch of fascinating food facts, and even if I’m not into desserts, I am most definitely craving pie right now. Custard, apple, pecan! I really don’t care which! Overall, as should be the case with all delicious meals, Yummy leaves me stuffed and yet hungry for more.

Victoria Grace Elliott is the creator behind Yummy. She’s described as a webcomic creator but it also mentions this to be her first ever long format graphic novel. Ms. Elliott has mastered the format right out of the gate and I look forward to her next meal…err…book!

Booksteve recommends.