Be My Yummy ABC

Written and illustrated by Joyce Wan

Hippo Park, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2025

Joyce Wan celebrated the book birthday of Be My Yummy ABC just recently on January 14. Congratulations, Joyce!

Thank you, Hippo Park, for sending me a copy of Be My Yummy ABC. I requested a copy through PW Grab a Galley and was happily surprised when my grand brought me a package. I wasn’t expecting any books, but there it was. All bright and shiny and pink and gorgeous. And TASTY. Sorry, but my phone camera did not catch the true vibrant colors.

I may have mentioned a time or two that I love books centered around food. Ahem. Still true. This alphabet book delivers. But let’s talk about layers. The more layers there are in a picture book, the more hooks there are for different readers. A hook is what grabs a reader and keeps them coming back for more reads.

Be My Yummy ABC has numerous layers and hooks:

~food (pretty much everyone I know is invested in food)

~multicultural foods (plus pronunciations, thank you!). I love this connection to the wide world around us

~alphabet, which is always a hit with me and any other preschool or kinder teacher

~alphabet chart included! Yes. This is so clever. Joyce designed the thick book jacket cover to include a vibrant alphabet chart on the back. One just needs to unfold the book jacket and voila, a yummy food-based alphabet chart.

~valentine connection. Be My Yummy sounds just like a valentine greeting, so this book can also be used during the month of pinks, reds, valentines, and love

~rhyming! Wow. I can only imagine the challenge to create a picture book with foods beginning with each letter of the alphabet, adding fun words, and making it all rhyme! But Joyce did a wonderful job and it’s a fun read aloud book.

~wide age range. The brightly colored illustrations will appeal to babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary students. What a nice span!

~great gift-ability, as I can see parents and grandparents giving this alphabet book as a gift

~back matter giving food name pronunciations and information about each food

~I’m sure there are more layers I’ve missed.

Be My Yummy ABC is a tasty treat for my eyes, my mouth, and my mind!

P.S. In case you think I’m going to eat the book, I will clarify: my eyes (looking at the delightful illustrations), my mouth (the words are tasty to read aloud), and my mind (I can learn more about language, the alphabet, and multicultural foods).