It happens to the best of us. Keeping busy, moving through an ordinary day, things seem to be going quite well, when suddenly — out of nowhere — ATTACK!

Instead of our cheery, cooperative (and might I add) cute and cuddly selves, we’re cranky, cantankerous, even a bit CRAZY. Help! What’s going on?!

We’re HANGRY, of course. Hungry + Angry = Hangry. Simple as that. Good thing there’s a brand new picture book all about it. In Attack of the Hangries by Katherine Pryor and Thiago Buzzy (WorthyKids, 2025), we learn what the hangries are, what causes them and how to effectively keep them at bay.

Entertaining, informative, and all too relatable, this belly rumbling tome is powered by Pryor’s lively, engaging prose and Buzzy’s hilarious, high octane cartoons, providing readers with lots to chew on as they consider the science behind hunger and mood.

First off, we’re told the hangries are sneaky. No matter where you are or what you’re doing (home, school, “spelunking in the caves of Quintana Roo”), or whether you’re having a terrible or fantastic day, the hangries can take over.

Your brain scrambles. Your limbs flail. All you want to do is SCREAM! AT EVERYONE! FOR ANYTHING!

You can flip out in math class and everyone just stares at you in disbelief. Why’d you do it? Maybe because you skipped breakfast or lunch? “That’s when the Hangries attack.” Food gives your body the energy it needs to optimally function both mentally and physically. When you don’t eat, your fuel level gets too low.

That’s when friendly little messengers called hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) alert you to a problem. “FUEL LOW!” “FEED ME!” If you don’t heed their warnings, they “can become monsters,” causing you to overreact and behave in strange ways.

How do you keep the hangries away? Try not to skip regular meals because “it takes a lot of energy to grow and play and run like you do.” For between-meal emergencies, pack a healthy snack and you’re good to go. 🙂

This book is such a fun way of reminding kids about the importance of healthy eating habits and making the right food choices. Pryor has included interesting Back Matter about the process of digestion and why protein, whole grains, fiber-rich fruits and veggies are quite efficient at staving off hunger pangs, and she provides suggestions for healthy snacks.

Finally, she tops things off with some Fun Facts. Did you know humans can make 4-6 cups of saliva each day (wow!), or that the masseter (jaw-to-cheek muscle) is one of the strongest muscles in our bodies?

So feast on the deliciousness of Pryor’s clever narrative and the hilarity of Buzzy’s bug-eyed, chompy hangries. Recognize yourself among the harried hangry victims in this book (look out! there’s a hangry sneaking up on you right this minute!). Love to talk more, but gotta go get a snack. 😀

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ATTACK OF THE HANGRIES
written by Katherine Pryor
illustrated by Thiago Buzzy
published by WorthyKids/HBG, September 2025
Nonfiction Picture Book for ages 4+

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*Interior spreads text copyright © 2025 Katherine Pryor, illustrations © 2025 Thiago Buzzy, published by WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved.

**Copyright © 2025 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.