Author: Thomas Hund
Illustrator: Joshua Allen
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1481716642

“And all of the animals saw a slightly thinner Nanny Goat. But it would take her a long time to become as physically fit as she once was. You see, it takes a lot longer to get into shape than it takes to chunk up,” Thomas Hund writes in his children’s story, Nanny Goat Chunks Up.

Although reviewed in manuscript format, this almost letter-sized paperback book has twenty-eight pages and is targeted toward preschool to early elementary school aged children. With no profanity, scary scenes, or violence, it concentrates on eating and being of healthy weight. Due to the reviewed format, no comment can be given regarding artist Joshua Allen’s illustrations.

Nanny Goat is a nice, helpful, and strong goat living on Cloonie’s farm with other farm animals. But her physique has changed and she has not noticed her weight gain or poor eating habits.

When Henrietta Hen asks her to reach for Farmer Cloonie’s lunch bell, the eating-fries goat unsuccessfully tries to jump up to ring the bell but says the farmer has raised it higher. A week later, Claudette Cow requests Nanny to fetch her ball through a small opening in the fence. As the goat is eating pizza, she thinks she can do it but gets stuck in the small opening, saying it is not the same spot she usually climbs through.

Another week later, Dilbert Duck tries to open a barn door and Nanny offers assistance while she is eating doughnuts. Ramming the door several times, she claims the door is locked. When Phineas Pig asks her to run after the mail truck, she stops eating her hot dog and chases the truck but gets winded, blaming it on tripping over a stone.

Each of these four times her friends suggest she has gained weight in her face, tummy, and legs but she refuses to listen to them and continues to eat bad food.

However, when she is in the barn and sees a supposedly chunky goat, her friends explain it is her reflection in a mirror. Her friends suggest stop eating fries, pizza, doughnuts, and fatty hot dogs. Several weeks later, Nanny Goat changes her diet to carrots, apples, pretzels, and lettuce and starts to lose weight.

Although there is repetition in the dialogue, the main point that eating poorly will produce an unhealthy, stagnant lifestyle is quaintly stated in the storyline. In today’s society, this is a welcomed reminder to think about what one eats.

This book was furnished by the author in lieu of an unbiased review.

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