FAQ
Can I buy the book directly from you?
No. Please order it through your favorite bookstore. If you’d like a signed copy, send me a SASE and I will send you a signed bookplate. (For my address, email me.)
May I read an excerpt?
Yes! Click here for the first three chapters (PDF).
Will you be going on a book tour?
Yes. See the sidebar on the right or click here for more info.
Can I get the recipes online?
Generally, no, but try Googling for a particular recipe; some of them I’ve published previously.
Hi, Matthew:
I’m lucky enough to be both a physician and a bookstore owner, and I thought I’d let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed the advance copy of your book sent to me by the publisher. I nominated it for an IndieBound Pick — here’s my blurb:
I love this book. As a bookseller, I admire Amster-Burton’s storytelling capabilities, which combine intelligent humor and impeccable timing with seriously useful information. As a physician trained in pediatrics, I completely agree with his take on feeding babies and young children. And, as a foodie, I can’t wait to try each and every recipe. I don’t actually have kids myself, but I’m telling every new parent in my circle of family and friends to buy this book!
Best of luck in your book sales and on your book tour. Feel free to let us know if you ever make it into the Midwest!
Roni
Posted by Roni K Devlin MD on April 6th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Thanks very much, Roni. I really appreciate your comments, and I’d love to visit Literary Life if I find myself in the area.
Posted by mamster on April 6th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Hi,
The link to the first three chapters doed not work. Please fix.
Thanks, Joy
Posted by Joy on May 15th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Hi,
As a mom of a 10 month old, I loved reading your book. I’m excited to introduce my little one to all the tasty foods that are out there. I didn’t see this author in your list of children’s books–if you haven’t seen her, you and Iris might enjoy her: Grace Lin, who’s written such books as Dim Sum for Everyone; The Ugly Vegetables (about growing Chinese veggies; and Fortune Cookie Fortunes.
Posted by Michele on May 29th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Thanks Matthew for this book! I haven’t finished it yet–I’m a mom of a 13-month-old hungry monkey and when I do get time to read it, I can’t stop laughing. Then my husband wants to know why I’m laughing and I have to tell him…you get the picture. If you are ever in the Cincinnati/Dayton, OH area, you have to check out Jungle Jim’s International market (its in Fairfield, OH). There’s really no place like it–it’s Disneyland for Foodies. It takes hours to shop there even when you know it as well as I do. Their Asian food section is as big as a Trader Joe’s. I’m sad to be moving away from it… Thanks again.
Posted by Rebecca on June 10th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Matthew, thank you for writing this book. I wrote a review on it, in a section of my blog I call From the Library Bag.
As a mother, my aspirations have always been to feed my kids well, but right now I’ve found it partiulcarly difficult to feed the little buggers.
Thank you for writing this book!
Posted by Mary-- The Yellow Door Paperie on June 12th, 2009 at 4:46 am
http://theyellowdoorpaperie.blogspot.com/2009/06/from-library-bag-hungry-monkey.html
Posted by Mary-- The Yellow Door Paperie on June 12th, 2009 at 4:47 am
Matthew,
Please write a Part II of Hungry Monkey, but this time make it 1,000 pages long. I’m almost done with HM and I don’t want it to end.
My 9 month old son and I thank you and Iris!
Posted by Suzette on June 20th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I hugely enjoyed this book (despite the fact that I have no kids)- so much so, in fact, that I chose it as my blog’s June Book Club selection. Anyone interested is welcome to join in the discussion, if you like, here:
http://mllenoelle.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/book-club-hungry-monkey-by-matthew-amster-burton/
Cheers! Here’s hoping there’s a follow-up book somewhere down the line.
Posted by mlle noelle (simmer down!) on June 29th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I really enjoyed your book, despite the fact that I am a member of one of those weirdo vegetarian/vegan families. We are adapting the recipes to our lifestyle, but most of all it’s refreshing to give up on cooking poor baby boring pureed food day after day. Please, please post the recipes on the web for easy referral! Thank you!
Posted by rani on July 1st, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I just finished it and really enjoyed the book. Do you have any of the recipes from the book online to print out? I find they way I cook it is easier to keep recipes I like in a binder rather than looking for the book it was in. We will trying “ants on tress” tomorrow night with my five year old daughter. Thanks.
Posted by Brian on July 20th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Hi, Brian. Unfortunately, I can’t make the recipes available free online, although some of them are recipes I’ve previously published. For example, you can find ants on a tree on my site, Roots and Grubs:
link
Try googling for the other recipes and some of them will turn up. (Others are new.)
Posted by mamster on July 20th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Hi Matthew I’m a first time mom to be and looking for inspiration on feeding young babies and children the types of “proper” food that my partner and I enjoy. I have found that inspiration in your book and just wanted to say a big thank you.
Your food adventures with Iris are inspirational and a world away from the usual kiddie fare of chicken nuggets and yoghurt with cartoon characters on the pots.
My partner and I hope that you will eventually write more about your food adventures with Iris, maybe in the form of a “cooking with Iris” cookbook. thank you again Paula
Posted by Paula on August 5th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Reading over my shoulder, my wife described you as my “soul mate”, as we have very similar backgrounds and outlooks on life/food. My wife and I are expecting our first soon and can’t wait to put your recipes to good use (try them now, hone them, then when he is finally ready, share them with our little one).
However, we have one (minor) problem. I learned of, and thus purchased, your book via Amazon’s Kindle store and only have the electronic copy, which is pretty terrible for kitchen cooking (ever try clicking “next page” with lard on your hands?). Is there a place to get your recipes without having to copy them out of the book?
Many thanks!
Posted by Alex on August 16th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Hi, Alex. I’m afraid the copyright issues make that impossible (I should add this question to the FAQ, because I get it a lot). However, some of the recipes in the book are previously published and therefore available online. Try Googling before you lard up your Kindle.
Posted by mamster on August 17th, 2009 at 6:24 am
Hi, Matthew:
We made the “spicy corn with kimchi” from your recipe in the Seattle Times Sunday (8/23) Pacific NW section. As someone who grew up in Korea, I have to admit that it sounded strange but interesting, so we got the fresh corn on the cobs and used the kimchi we already had at home. It came out very yummy and my husband claims that it’s one of his favorite foods now. We were also delighted to learn from the article that you, a professional food writer thinks about kimchi fried rice as often as we do! Thank you for creating a delicious and fun recipe and making us have an adventurous culinary experience.
Posted by Jin on August 23rd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Dear Matthew, I’m the mom of 2 little girls. My 3 year old eats less than half what my one year old does. I was pleased to find your book last week at the bookstore as you can imagine my frustration. I just made it through chapter 10 and WOW! you have NO IDEA the load you took off of my shoulders. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!.
Today I made the corn recipe from page 87. I used cherry sweet peppers instead of jalapeno. I’m not a good cook, in fact, i don’t enjoy cooking very much so when I offered my husband a taste he was as skeptical as usual and then he said that it was the single best thing I’ve ever made. So, thank you again.
BTW, my husband is Dan Povenmire, creator of Phineas and Ferb on Disney Channel. If Iris is a fan, he’d be happy to send her a drawing or a signed poster. He’s looking forward to my cooking more Hungry Monkey food.
Posted by Clarissa on September 5th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I have to say thank you for writing this book. I will pick it up soon.
I’m the mother of a two month old, and I certainly tire of friends and family warning me about the future struggles over food. I patiently ask them if they really think young kids in India eat hot dogs and spaghetti with ketchup. This is usually answered with a blank stare.
I hope to raise my daughter with an appreciation of global food. I’m sure your book will help.
Posted by Heidi on September 21st, 2009 at 6:08 am
Hilarious book, (mostly) practical recipes, great read–and I don’t even have small children. I just love food. I bought it for a friend today, and then went back and grabbed a copy for myself because, well, because I hadn’t had lunch and I was ready to eat my arm, standing right there in the bookstore. If you’ve been to Spokane, I missed your visit. Come again. If you write another book, I’ll buy it, too. Laura
Posted by Laura on December 31st, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I just have to say, I just am in the middle of the book, and I am completely hooked. I don’t have children yet, but my boyfriend and I are both CIA grads with different degrees (he in Culinary, I in bakery) and we always joke that when we have kids, they will be spoiled with Gob Dol, oxtail, and veal cheeks. I was a picky eater growing up, and didn’t discover vegetables or even beef stew (can you imagine life without beef stew? Now I can’t) till I hit school. I hope when I have kids, they’ll love food as much as I do now. Awesome book, I can’t wait to finish it.
Posted by Jenni on June 30th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Make sure to try making your own potsticker wrappers someday. Not very hard and very tasty. Plus, they stay closed better than the store bought ones.
Posted by Barbara on August 13th, 2010 at 7:22 am
My baby girl is 4 months old; and we are just about to get ready to start solids. Me and the hubby are big foodies, and hope our girl will be as well! I’ve just ordered your book, and can’t wait to see what Jojo makes of your recipes. Hungry monkey is coming to New Zealand!
Posted by Heather on September 11th, 2010 at 12:49 am