Member Reviews

Fussy Flamingo is about a tiny child flamingo named Lola who lives in South America. Much like kids we all know and love, Lola is a PICKY eater. She does NOT want shrimp for dinner.

Throughout repetitive storytelling, Lola eats many different types of food that are not shrimp, and turns different colors that are not flamingo pink. Lola is sneaky and funny and her antics will make you giggle. There is a little spanish thrown in since this story takes place in Chile. In the back there are also some fact sheets on real flamingos which give this book more of an educational purpose as well.

I enjoyed Lola's story and I think most kids will get a kick out of Lola and her silly story. I highly recommend this story to preschool and kindergarten students.

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This was a cute story about a mischievous flamingo that didn't want to try shrimp, instead choosing to eat various types of fruit that she found nearby. Each time she eats a fruit and returns to her parents, her feathers change appearance to match the coloration and design of the fruit she ate. It's very amusing. In the end, just like with Green Eggs and Ham, when Lola finally tries shrimp, she discovers that she likes it and she becomes pink like her parents. The end notes explain the true nature of flamingos very well. The text is easy to read and story is a lot of fun. The nonfiction found at the end will serve to educate readers about flamingos and there are some links to child-friendly websites with more flamingo facts for readers that are still interested.

I am certainly going to add this to my collection as soon as it comes out. It's an impressive text that does everything you'd hope for in a book for younger readers. Well done!

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Lola is an adorable character. I love how she gently defies her loving parents who try to coax her into eating shrimp. Instead, she hilariously eats anything but those crustaceans and her feathers change into odd, fruity colors. I read this via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

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Lola is a young flamingo who doesn’t like shrimp, but wants to eat all of the colorful fruit from the shoreline. Will Lola ever turn pink? I love how this colorful playful book teaches younger children a lesson about flamingos. In the back of the book there is a wonderful guide to fun facts about flamingos.

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Gah. This book is so cute. It’s coming out in July, and is perfect for summer. When I think about Flamingoes, I think of summers in Florida with my grandmother and grandfather. Meet Lola. Lola, like some little ones I know, is a picky eater. She doesn’t want to eat shrimp, and every time her parents’ backs are turned, she sneaks off to sample all kinds of food. Her feathers tell on her, however, as she turns the color of whatever she eats. If they can just get her to try it, Lola’s parents know she’ll love shrimp.

This one is a good choice for storytime and or bedtime with little ones, as the repetition should keep their attention pretty well, and the different colors and foods teach new things. There’s even a fun facts section at the end that points kids and parents to more resources to learn about flamingoes.

The picky eater theme is something I think many kidos can identify with, and Lola finds that she actually really does like shrimp once she finally gives in and tries a bite, something I think many parents out there can sympathize with. It’s a really cute book, and I’m excited for it to be released into the world.

Keep it on your radar this summer and pick up a copy at your favorite, local bookstore or request a purchase from your library. Work it into your storytime routine, and maybe even move along with Lola to get the little ones up and engaged with the text.

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Adorable story about a picky flamingo eater who doesn’t like shrimp! She tries other things with colorful results! Love this for Jk-K! #fussyflamingo #netgalley

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"Fussy Flamingo" by author Shelly Vaughan James, is the quintessential children's book! Meet Lola, the Chilean baby Flamingo who doesn't want to eat the shrimp her parents give her. Instead Lola ventures off menu and opts for a diverse range of foods, each one turning her a different color. Will she ever be pink like her family?

Our family loved Lola and her story! We enjoyed hearing about all of the tropical foods that she tries like the avocado and the pepino melon. Our favorite fruit that Lola tries was the Dragonfruit! We also enjoyed the repetitious pattern of the story that kept our young readers engaged throughout the book! The book provides educational facts sprinkled throughout the tale and a bonus section of information at the end on Flamingos.

As a parent, I loved that this book highlighted the message that people should be open to trying new things. Kids and parents will be able to connect easily with Lola's story and are sure to enjoy this "Fussy Flamingo's" adventure!

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Cute introduction to flamingos. I love the illustrations! Perfect for pairing with informational text to introduce research skills to K-1st graders.

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Despite her parents' wishes, gray-feathered Lola does not want to eat shrimp, convinced that she will not like it. Instead, she sneaks off to eat other kinds of food. She eventually concedes, however, and discovers how tasty shrimp can be, turning a beautiful pink like her parents.

Shelly Vaughan James tells a story that is all too familiar to parents and children--the child who is convinced that they do not like something that they have never tried. Young readers will appreciate the repetitious phrases in the story, as well as Lola's determination to sneak off to try other foods. Parents who are sharing the book with their children will be amused as they watch Lola and her parents engage in the timeless tale of the food battle. The facts and resources found at the end of the story add value to this book.

Matthew Rivera's watercolor and digital illustrations are soft and fun, capturing Lola's personality and thoughts perfectly. They augment the text wonderfully, and add to the spirit of the story. His work is commendable.

While Jennifer Sattler's Sylvie is very similar and a preferable selection, this book is still a nice read.

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Raise your hands if you have ever been unsure of a new food! In "Fussy Flamingo" a little flamingo, Lola, is told to only eat shrimp all day everyday by his parents. Instead of listening, Lola wanders off and gets to experience the taste of new foods. Lesser known fruits give this book an edge to students who haven;t traveled the world. To see how her family reacts and what happens when she does try shrimp, check out this book! A great read for unpicky eaters too!

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Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James is a beautifully illustrated story about Lola the flamingo. Each morning Lola and her parents go out in search of food. While her mami and papi happily eat shrimp, Lola refuses to even try shrimp. Instead she sneaks off from her family and eats other foods that she prefers. I like that when Lola is preparing her escape to sneak forbidden foods, the author makes use of a cute refrain which could be so much fun when doing read alouds. I can see adding motions to accompany Lola's actions which would help get the kids kinetically involved in the story. I also like that when Lola sneaks foods, she is always caught by her family because her feather change color. I can see the class laughing out loud at some of Lola's color changes, Eventually Lola does try shrimp and she loves it! Her feathers change to the beautiful pink color and she is very happy! The very end of the book has some fun facts about flamingos which are very educational in nature.

I think this story would be great to read with children who are picky eaters and who are reluctant to try new friends, I teach students with special needs and many of those students are extremely picky eaters. This would be a great resource for teachers and parents to help encourage children to eat more foods because they might just LOVE the food.

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I loved the word choice in this book. Made connections to my childhood when my brother refused to eat shrimp and we'd always say, "But you haven't tried it this way." :-)

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I received an ARC through NetGalley from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. My 5-year-old gave this 5 stars. Fussy Flamingo Lola doesn’t want to eat shrimp, so she keeps wondering off to find other colorful foods to eat. Finally, after a simple suggestion, her parents get her to try shrimp and she does in fact like them. I liked the nods to South American culture, the fun and repetitive dialogue which is great for read-alouds, and the fact panels at the end of the book. With each food choice, Lola’s feathers change color to the food she ate, while not realistic this does demonstrate how shrimp give flamingos their color. Nice Illustrations and page spreads. Recommended for ages 3-6.

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The ugly duckling a la flamingoes! A cute story about a flamingo who also happens to be a picky eater.

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This is a cute twist on "you are what you eat," showing how Lola's feathers change depending on what color her food is.

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Learn about flamingos and could be good story to talk about getting kids eat fruits and vegetables. Also, you got to learn about South American fruits.

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Fussy Flamingo is so on-point with families everywhere struggling with a picky eater. The story of Lola, the No-No Flamingo, is just what we need. Lola will not eat "too soggy, too muddy, too yucky" shrimp. Her parents watch as she tries a variety of tropical offerings (dragonfruit being my favorite) while encouraging her to just try one little shrimp. Without pressure, Lola eventually braves a bite and finds that she does in fact like the food her parents have been urging her to try. The book concludes with beautiful fact panels about flamingos that only enhance the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

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Cute and silly story about a "fussy" eater flamingo whose experiments in other dietary options results in a number of unusual color changes. There's good use of repetition as well, which should make this a fun read aloud book

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Loved this! I needed this as a child as I have grown up to be the pickiest eater!

This was a really fun book following a really fussy flamingo through the struggles of trying new food!

The pictures were very cute and I love how Lola the flamingo does her little dance before searching for the shrimp. I was totally on board with her not wanting the shrimp because I dislike seafood 😂 but I'm glad the book ended with Lola trying something new!!

I also loved that the back of the book is full of facts about flamingos! That is so fun and a great way to get the littles learning about new subjects!

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A very sweet story of a fussy eater. We all have them in our lives and the encouragement we offer of Just try it, just one bite, you might like it... these are not lost on the parents of the fussy flamingo who refuses to eat shrimp.
Escaping the herd daily, the fussy flamingo, Lola comes back in various shades of the food found while foraging.
Avocados turn her feathers green, melons turn her feathers orange, and she still refuses to eat shrimp.
A lovely story with repetition between each food she eats, and the same exclamations from Mami and Papi, this will enchant and delight readers.
Beautifully illustrated and with wonderful attention to details, the book will bring a smile to the faces of many children!
The last few pages are filled with fascinating flamingo facts, perfect for inspiring young children to learn more about the animals they read about in picture books.

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