Book Review of Taki Souvlaki: A Taste for Gratitude
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The Children’s Book Review
Taki Souvlaki: A Taste for Gratitude
Written by Garry De Boer
Illustrated by Chau Pham
Ages: 3-10 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Bookfox Press (2025) | ISBN: 979-8899000072
What to Expect: Adventure, food, Greek culture, and expressing gratitude.
Taki Souvlaki: A Taste for Gratitude is a wonderful introduction to Greek culture and hospitality. The story encourages readers to appreciate diverse cultures while cultivating a spirit of generosity and appreciation in their everyday lives.
Little Taki Souvlaki is on a quest to find the best food in all of Greece. He ventures forth with a sense of adventure and three jars of his mama’s tzatziki sauce. As he travels out into the world around him, he encounters different people who graciously demonstrate traditional Greek hospitality. Eventually, Taki realizes that while he was so focused on finding the most delicious food, he had forgotten to show gratitude in return. He then backtracks and shares his gratitude along with his homemade tzatziki sauce, thus embracing the Greek idea of philoxenia—love of strangers and hospitality.
Inspired by a trip to Greece, New Jersey born author Garry De Boer takes the concept of the friendliness of Greek customs and combines his story with traditional Greek food to create a fun venture into Greek culture. Readers young and old will enjoy the exploration of conventional Greek food along with Chau Pham’s illustrations of Greek costuming. Readers will not only discover mouthwatering dishes but also learn the importance of thankfulness and kindness through Taki’s journey.
Taki’s adventures are sure to inspire readers to embrace new traditions while celebrating the universal importance of showing appreciation to others—finding value not only in the delicious foods described but also in the heartfelt lessons about gratitude and kindness is something readers of all ages will enjoy!
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About the Author
By his own admission, Garry De Boer is equal parts old soul, kid at heart, and professed grump. A lifelong reader and storyteller-in-the-making, he grew up surrounded by books like Mr. Bump, Ralph S. Mouse, Bialosky’s Special Picnic, Space Cat and anything by Roald Dahl. These days, he’s passing that same love of stories down to his son – with a side of comic books and monster trucks for good measure.
When he’s not writing or crunching numbers (more on that below), Garry can be found enjoying a baseball game, cheering on Seton Hall basketball (where he once sat on the bench as an undergrad assistant), or at home reaching for a good German beer. Oh — and he’s also a bona fide Kentucky Colonel. Really.
Inspired by a visit to Greece and the deep-rooted tradition of philoxenia — a culture of hospitality and generosity toward strangers and guests — Garry created Taki Souvlaki: A Taste for Gratitude as a tribute to kindness, food, and the simple joy of sharing with others.
For more information, visit www.garrydeboer.com.
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