Bud the Spud

You have to have a sense of humor when reading Bud the Spud. I say this as a compliment. This is a book with a very important message for kids: do not let the T.V take over your life. It is fresh and easy to read. It is controversial too. This kid (Bud) turns into a couch potato in real life and many creepy things happen to him in the 3 different alternative endings. A bit disturbing for the sensitive parent (like me), I would not let my 6 year old read it. Not yet. But I think that older children( 10+) would appreciate more the humor and message of the story. Also the comic-like illustrations will appeal a more mature audience. So I think this book will be a “love it” or “hate it” kind of book, and that will depend on the personality of the reader as some might get offended and some others might laugh their socks off. But here’s the thing that I was thinking while reading it…maybe we need this kind of strong message to truly impact the way our kids are living. Maybe we need controversial and creative ways to tell a story to open up our eyes and realize that childhood obesity is a reality that can be prevented. So go ahead, give Bud a try (not literally!) and decide for yourself.

We’ve all heard the words, “If you keep watching TV, you’ll turn into a couch potato!” I say it to my daughter more often that I’d like on lazy rainy days. It doesn’t mean a lot to her. In her mind a couch potato is that french fry she lost under the couch cushion. The author, Adam Tritt has taken a humorous approach to a very serious matter of childhood obesity. He pulls no punches when he describes the dangers of “vegging” in front of the TV all day. Bud the Spud - CoverBud is just a kid, pretty average it seems. He likes pizza, ice cream and most of all he likes to watch TV. What happens when a kid eats way to much junk food and watches way to much TV and never goes out to play. When his friends and family can’t pull him off the couch, he turns into a “Couch Potato!” You will have to read the book to find out what happens next! I have mixed feelings about the book. It has really driven the point home to my daughter (she's 3) that she needs to get up and play instead of sitting in front of the TV all day. We read the book to her the first time a month ago and I have noticed a change in her. She will ask if she will turn into a couch potato. For a while she believed that she would literally turn into a potato, so I had to sit down and explain to her that it’s just something we say to describe someone who is lazy and just watches TV all day. If your child is young and/or sensitive to imagery then you may want to take a close look at the book before you read it with your child. I’m glad I took a moment to peek through the book first. The images can be alarming as well as some of the endings. The author has written three different endings to the book. We choose to read only ending 2 to our daughter as the other two endings are a bit to disturbing. While I am not sure how I feel about the book, my daughter enjoys it. We have read the book multiple times and each time she finds something new to find in the pictures. The book really drives home the importance of being active to her in a way that she can understand. Although the book may not be for every child, it does open up the lines of communication. My daughter and I had the discussion about why Bud became a couch potato and how not to become one, and now she tells her Daddy that if he watches to many cartoons on Saturday morning he’ll turn into a ‘tater too! Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours.