Hot Food: Nice!

By Author / Illustrator

Michael Rosen, Neal Layton

Genre

Funny Stories

Age range(s)

Publisher

Walker Books

ISBN

9781529530223

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-11-2025

Synopsis

Michael Rosen's hilarious viral video poem is brought to life in picture book form by award-winning illustrator Neal Layton.

Michael Rosen's poem about his dad and the too-hot potato is one of the best-known and best-loved of all his poems. Michael's own performance of the poem has even become a meme - "Nice!" This is the first time the poem has been illustrated in full colour, in a hilarious picture book.

Young Michael thinks his dad knows everything. But then one day, one terrible day, he found that his dad does NOT know everything: this is how it goes. They sit down to eat, and the potato's a bit hot. Michael knows to blow on it to cool it down before eating it. His brother knows it, and his mum knows it. So why does his dad pop it straight into this mouth? And what happens next? A funny slice of family life, told in irresistible repetitive text, that will delight young and old alike.

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Reviews

Amanda

Hot Food: Nice! takes the simple notion that Dad knows everything and gently disproves it. Based on Michael Rosen's much-loved poem, the theme of the story is one that most families will relate to and see the funny side of. Illustrations are beautifully colourful, well sized and positioned to complement the simplicity of the language used. They add a real sense of fun, laughter and the facial expressions are just fantastic.

In school I would use this as a launch pad for children to innovate and create their own stories based on real life events. It would be a lovely story to share throughout the school day or conversation starter as to what their parents know or have done that they think they 'should have known better'!

Picture book / Reviewed by Amanda Shipton, teacher