Hot Dog! - by Christine Van Zandt (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Meet Frank De Wienerdog, your outrageously funny guide through the sizzling story of the hot dog's journey from the streets of New York to ballparks nationwide. Get ready for a laugh-out-loud adventure packed with puns and bite-sized facts that will delight curious readers of all ages--did you know Americans devour a staggering 20 billion hot dogs every year? That's enough to stretch all the way to the moon and back!

But the fun doesn't stop there! HOT DOG! is overflowing with flavorful nonfiction content designed to feed young minds and inspire future foodies. Discover a recipe for intriguing "snake dogs," wrap your head around some wacky hot dog math, and explore a sizzling timeline of the hot dog's most memorable milestones.

Author Christine Van Zandt masterfully blends humor, heart, and history, while Steven Salerno's bold and playful illustrations bring the zany spirit of this tale to life on every page. Each spread is a visual and educational feast that readers will want to savor again and again.

HOT DOG! is the perfect recipe for educational fun. It's an irresistible way to introduce social studies and food culture in classrooms and is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser during read-alouds. So, pile on your favorite toppings and get ready for a deliciously silly adventure full of laughs, surprises, and all the tasty trivia you can sink your teeth into! This history's on a roll!

About the Author

Christine Van Zandt is a freelance editor, writing coach, and award-winning author. Her nonfiction picture books include Milkweed for Monarchs (Beaming Books, 2024) and A Brief History of Underpants (becker&mayer! kids, 2021). She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her family. You can find her at christinevanzandt.com, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.

Steven Salerno is a New York City-based illustrator of nearly forty popular award-winning picture books, including Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team (a New York Times Notable Book), The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow, and the recent Madeline series. He has also written and illustrated five titles of his own, including Tim's Goodbye. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Steven's picture books have earned many starred reviews, and have been translated into languages around the world. Visit stevensalerno.com.