Too crunchy! Too mushy! Too gooey! Too green!

Even the yummiest meals make him want to hide. Pickles isn’t being picky, he’s feeling scared. With patience, love, and the help of a therapist named Dr. Paws, Pickles the Pup and his family learn about ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and discover that bravery comes in small, sniff-sized steps.

Told in playful rhyme and full of heart, this story helps kids, caregivers, and therapists navigate food fears with kindness, understanding, and hope.

T oo different! Too tricky! Too smelly! Too new!

Sometimes food worries show up in more ways than a few.
Pickles the Pup isn't alone anymore. When he meets friends with big feelings about food, he discovers that eating challenges can look different for everyone. Some foods feel too intense, some feel too scary, and sometimes hunger barely shows up at all.
Through friendship, understanding, and a lot of courage, Pickles learns that everyone's food journey is unique and that progress happens one small step at a time.
This gentle, rhyming story introduces the different ways Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) can show up, helping children feel understood, caregivers feel supported, and professionals build a shared language for talking about food challenges.

Passionate about increasing awareness and understanding of ARFID, Dr. Ana Silva is the author of

It's a children’s book series created to support families and fellow professionals in navigating food fears and help children build a more positive relationship with food.