Vegetables

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4 --Four colorful introductory books that cover a good deal of territory in a few pages. Each food is defined and described, and some history is given. Nutrients are discussed, as are the growth and processing of the food; a few simple recipes are also appended. The information is of necessity a little sketchy, but the books do provide easy-to-read overviews. Words in boldface in the text are defined in a glossary. The full-color photographs, drawings, and diagrams are all helpful and attractive. The authors are ever-mindful of ecological concerns: a photo caption in Vegetables reads, ``A farmer sprays his vegetable crop with pesticides. Some farmers prefer not to use these chemicals. . .,'' and in Meat : ``Many people believe the way calves are raised and killed for veal is cruel.'' Four books that will help beginning report-writers. --Carolyn Jenks, Oyster River Elementary School, Durham, NH