Pipo loves pizza obsessively. She's researched every way to eat pizza, and her conclusion (much to the chagrin of her over-pizza-ed parents) is that pizza is the absolute best. But her neighbors have their own favorites--Eugene loves his family's bibimbap; Farah's chicken-and-apricot tagine reminds her of home; Dakota's red beans and rice are a comfort to her dad; and Ronnie and Donnie love sharing dumplings so much they started a food truck. In the name of science, Pipo tries them all, and they're all delicious! Chef and food writer López-Alt brings his enthusiasm for food to the bouncy, lively lines of this picture book, which is helped along considerably by Ruggiero's bright, cartoonish digital artwork. With stylized figures and playful background details, Ruggiero spotlights not only the ingredients and dishes but also the realistic diversity of Pipo's multicultural neighborhood. While picky eaters may or may not be convinced by Pipo's experiments, the joy of sharing food with friends is undeniable. The well-written pizza recipe in the back matter includes tips for getting kids involved in the kitchen.

Young Pipo is convinced that pizza is the best and, determined to scientifically prove its superiority, sets off on a culinary reconnaissance mission through her culturally diverse neighborhood. Thanks to the generosity of her neighbors, Pipo gathers plenty of data as she experiences new dishes: bibimbap, tagine, red beans and rice, dumplings. Each new food is delicious and provides an opportunity to learn a bit about her neighbors' cultural traditions and personal stories; however, Pipo concludes that pizza is still the best. Baffled by others' (including her weary-of-pizza parents) inability to see its preeminence, she seeks the guidance of shopkeeper Mr. Gonzales, who tells her that "pizza is the best, but it's not the only best." The vibrant and busy illustrations -- a blend of spot art, single pages, and double-page spreads -- deliver a balance of whimsy and realism to complement the energetic text. Back matter includes a simple recipe for "Pipo's Pizza" and a reminder that "even imperfect pizza is still pizza, and pizza is always delicious." Pair with other such community- and culinary-focused titles as Thank You, Omu! (rev. 11/18), !Vamos!: Let's Go Eat (rev. 3/20), and Our Little Kitchen (rev. 11/20). Patrick Gall March/April 2021 p.64(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A pizza-loving girl pits her favorite food against other multicultural offerings in her neighborhood to determine the best food ever! At Pipo's house, every night is pizza night. "Pizza. Is. The. BEST," she says. "Peking duck?" her mother suggests, but: "Peking yuck," Pipo avers. "French onion soup?" No! "French onion p…." Then her parents challenge her to try different foods, approaching the question scientifically. "I do not need to. I do not want to, but I will try other foods. I will do it for science," she proclaims. Pipo visits her neighbors to gather "data." First, she visits Eugene and tries Korean bibimbap. It smells stinky, and it tastes spicy! She loves it--but "is [it] better than pizza?" she wonders. Pipo goes on to sample Farah's Moroccan tagine, red beans and rice in Dakota's kitchen, and hot, juicy dumplings from Ronnie and Donnie's food truck. All these foods are new to her and very tasty! Through this around-the-world culinary journey in her own neighborhood, Pipo discovers that while pizza is best, "it's not the only best." (Her recipe is appended.) Bold, bright colors, dynamic illustrations, repetitive refrains, and catchy, well-paced text make this book utterly rereadable. And while the theme is a little obvious, it may still help convince picky eaters to try new foods. Pipo has pale skin and straight black hair, and the cast is appropriately, robustly diverse. A delightful culinary ode to the multicultural world we live in. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.