What's So Good About Vegetables?

Children's Literature

They're real super foods packed with important vitamins and minerals! The "What, Where, Why?" series (first published in Britain) provides some basic answers to questions young children often ask about the world around them. With an easy-to-handle square format, kids can track the information on each two-page spread along an illustrated trail linking text and bright color photos, finding along the way an additional question (answers in the back) and, at the end, a multiple choice quiz as lead-in to the next page. Although the information is available in many other books, the format allows for a certain amount of interaction with the text and the illustrations are chosen with an eye to appeal and clarity. In this volume, young gourmets can discover why seven food groups—bread, vegetables, fruit, meat, butter, dairy products, and fluids like water, milk, and juice—are necessary for growth and good health. Note: Nutrient recommendations are coordinated with the food pyramid based on carbohydrates. Readers may be especially intrigued by the colorfully-presented journey of food making its way through a child's body. These attractive science books would be fun for a parent and child to share. Teachers might use one to introduce a more wide-ranging unit, while the extra questions on each subject ("What country does spaghetti come from?") could inspire further research, writing and, in this case, tasting. A short index is included and a useful illustrated glossary will help independent readers with unfamiliar words. 2004 (orig. 2003), Gareth Stevens, Ages 4 to 8.
—Barbara L. Talcroft