Hot Food: Nice!
Michael Rosen’s viral YouTube poem meme with over 4 million views – a laugh-out-loud picture book for ages 3–7 about a hot potato, a clueless dad and a family dinner fiasco!
Michael Rosen author Neal Layton illustrator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Walker Books Ltd
Published:6th Nov '25
Should be back in stock very soon
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.
The rhythm and repetition of the poem is an absolute delight. Hot Food: Nice! captures one of those momentous and mundane family scenes. -- Alice Ellerby * Juno Magazine *
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. -- Amanda Shipton * ReadingZone *
Neal Layton’s familiar illustrative style, with big-eyed, spikyhaired characters and use of full pages varied with smaller frames, sometimes linked by arrows to add humour, perfectly suits this light and whimsical family story which sparked an internet meme: Nice! Suitable for readers of all ages - particularly grown-ups? -- Eva Bearne * English 4-11 *
Neal Layton’s illustrations capture the potato incident splendidly so it becomes a scrumptious slapstick visual story too, full of fantastic facial expressions. A unmissable read aloud for class and family sharing. -- Jill Bennett * Red Reading Hub *
Rosen’s books aimed at the youngest readers might seem very simple but they are in fact hugely skilful – knowing what to include and what to leave out and, at the same time, keep readers and listeners turning the page is no mean feat.
Hot Food: NICE! exemplifies this technique perfectly.
ISBN: 9781529530223
Dimensions: 256mm x 212mm x 6mm
Weight: 180g
32 pages