Now, there's an expression rarely taken literally. But if your kids are less inclined to the syrupy sermonizing of the Berenstain Bears than to the macabre musings of Edward Gorey, this children's book of unusual appetites may be right up their dark alley.

Vermont author and artist Julia Z wrote and illustrated this book as a quarantine project. As she wrote in a 2021 Kickstarter campaign, "There's a lot of scary, depressing, cruel, and selfish stuff going on in the world ... Maybe a couple people will enjoy my mostly harmless book despite all that."

Some of the book's advanced vocabulary — "ambergris," "benignant," "epicure," "concupiscent" — will fly over the heads of younger readers and many adults. But Z's rhyme and cadence, coupled with her playfully creepy illustrations, make it a delight to read aloud. One caveat: Given its grim gustatory gist, this one might be better served before dinner rather than at bedtime. As Z puts it, "Eat your carrots before they eat you."