The endorsements for Sonya Anise’s MUMAGEDDON! And the Food Magician read like a who’s who across arts and child development, and they arrive with uncommon unanimity. Already a winner of multiple international awards and the Readers’ Favorite 5-star Seal, the book holds a 4.9/5 Amazon rating from 100+ reviews and has been greeted by readers as “as good as Roald Dahl’s poems!!!”
Miche Arendse of Readers’ Favorite calls it “brilliantly crafted, a mischievous masterpiece… an absolute joy to read,” while Brett Anderson—Suede frontman and author—praises its rare cross-generational pull: “Parents will enjoy it as much as their kids.” Paul Moss, co-founder of The HandleBards, hails “a hilarious slapstick joyride,” and child psychologist Anneke Reijmerink deems it “an absolute gift for children’s emotional and social development.” More broadly, child psychologists have described it as “a delightful gem that ticks every box,” citing its deft handling of resilience, empathy, blended families, and self-belief.
Published by Books Beautiful and told entirely in nimble, laugh-out-loud verse that Anise also illustrates, the story follows a chocolate-loving boy and gifted food magician who outwits a merciless stepmother and a beastly boarding school, uncovering a modern fairy tale about voice, passion, compromise, and forgiveness. Anise’s command of language and image reflects her training at Central Saint Martins and her award-winning multidisciplinary career; after keeping the tale private for 25 years, the Balearic Islands–based author is now at work on the next MUMAGEDDON! installment.