Sixth-Grade Writing Assignment Becomes Published Children’s Book in “I Do Not Like Escargot”

Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk

Richard Blum has published "I Do Not Like Escargot," a rhyming picture book that began as a sixth-grade English assignment and, decades later, made it into print through Page Publishing.

The original assignment, according to Blum, asked students to write a book in the style of Dr. Seuss’s "Green Eggs and Ham" about something they didn’t like. Blum chose escargot, despite never having tried it, on the strength of a sixth grader’s confidence that he wouldn’t. The book, released in September 2025, keeps that premise intact and runs with it in verse and illustration.

Blum brought his artistic background to every page, having trained in art while maintaining employment elsewhere. He has roots in Arizona and Missouri, both of which he says shaped the voice in his writing. The finished book, aimed at young readers, follows a child’s insistence on disliking a food he’s never tasted — a setup borrowed directly from the Seuss book it imitates, where a character’s refusal to try green eggs and ham eventually gives way.

This one doesn’t flip the formula. Blum has said that when he finally tried escargot as an adult, he didn’t need to walk anything back. He’s described the experience in blunt terms, comparing the taste to eating rubber soaked in dirt, and says the title stands as written.

The book is listed for sale through major retail outlets including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and Google Play, as well as through Page Publishing directly.

Studio CarryOnHarry’s take: there’s something genuinely funny about an author spending twenty-some years validating a sixth grader’s snap judgment about snails, and that’s the hook here, not the publishing deal behind it.

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