Yummy Yucky
One opposite per spread with the same baby doing both—spaghetti is yummy, worms are yucky. The "yucky" drawings are usually the funny ones, helping a toddler grasp the concept through visual humor.
Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli is estimated to take about 2 minutes to read aloud (40 words, about 1 sentence a page), and it lands best with children aged 0-3.
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- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 2 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Estimated word count
- 40Our estimate
- Sentences per page
- 1Sentence per page
- Re-read tolerance
- 5/5still good at forty
- Vocabulary level
- 1/5plain words
- Best for
- Ages 0-3Our editorial fit
Our review
This book uses high-contrast opposites to teach basic concepts. The visual humor of the character's reactions makes the lesson stick without feeling like a lesson.
It's a great choice for a toddler who loves laughing at things that are "gross." The repetition makes the concepts easy to pick up in just one reading.
Before you buy it
The humor relies on a baby eating something gross, which might lead a literal-minded toddler to think it's a real suggestion.
Themes
- opposites
- food
- humour
- first concepts
Books like Yummy Yucky
Matched by refrain, density, length, and listener—not just the subject.
Questions parents ask
How long does it take to read Yummy Yucky aloud?
About 2 minutes at an unhurried pace, including a standard allowance for page turns, pictures and participation, from a word count of 40. Stopping for a longer conversation on every page will add more time.
What age is Yummy Yucky actually for?
Ages 0-3 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 1 sentence a page and vocabulary at 1 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
Does Yummy Yucky survive being read on repeat?
Yes - this is one of the few that is still fine on the fortieth reading, which is why it scores 5 out of 5 with us.
Is Yummy Yucky a good book for a child who will not sit still?
It helps that it has a refrain a child can join in with, and it asks the child questions to answer out loud. Those three features are what keep a wriggling toddler listening, far more than the subject matter does.
Will my child memorise Yummy Yucky?
Probably, and fast. The book leans on a repeated refrain, and at 5 out of 5 for re-read tolerance it survives the nightly repeats that get a book memorised. Expect your child to chant the pattern back before they can actually read.
Can a beginning reader read Yummy Yucky on their own?
It is closer than most picture books. With 1 sentence a page and plain vocabulary (1 out of 5), a confident early reader can attempt it, though it is written to be read aloud first.
What themes does Yummy Yucky cover?
We tag it with opposites, food, humour and first concepts. Those are the threads that actually run through the book, not just the ones on the cover, which is how it earns its place on our themed lists rather than a keyword match.
Lists Yummy Yucky is on
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