Foodworks

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Those familiar with Scienceworks and Natureworks will be charmed and amused by this volume, the funniest and most lighthearted of the bunch. It offers kids a lesson on digestion, for example, by telling them to spit on meat and leave it for a day. The concern for nutrition has the right tonecalories in a candy bar can be worked off by running for 14 minutes, or sleeping for five hours. There are recipesthe one for dried-banana chips is paired with advice on food preservation; making a chocolate bar is part of the feature on cacao beans. ``Food Fears'' discusses foods that have frightened folks in the pasttomatoes and garlic, to name two. Decidedly educational, definitely entertaining, Foodworks proves again that factual information can be better than any old fiction. Ages 7-13. (April)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8 The Ontario Science Centre obviously knows what interests kids and how to intrigue and teach them through their love of food. One- or two-page sections on many aspects of food, nutrition, health, plants, and animals each include facts and statistics (metric and standard measurement) told in interesting ways plus ``try this'' activities and questions. All are illustrated with cartoon-style black line drawings and diagrams. Subjects range from how we taste and use up calories to the organisms that live on us, how plants grow without soil, to foods around the world. Activities include listening to a friend's stomach after he or she eats various foods; making ice cream, cheese, and ginger ale; checking labels in the grocery for added sugar and salt; and learning the perils of farming from a board game in the book. All concepts and vocabulary are clearly explained with emphasis on good health and safe procedures, but with such good humor and light touch that students won't realize how much they're learning. Make sure that teachers get their own copies or the students won't have a chance at this. Sylvia S. Marantz, Wellington School, Columbus, Ohio