Yummy!

March 11, 2013
The team behind I’m Adopted and Shades of People present candid photographs of children preparing and enjoying food, as well as demonstrating their strength and energy. In a garden, a girl holds up a carrot that matches her ginger hair (“I picked a carrot”); elsewhere, a boy eats broccoli (“Rice and beans and broccoli!). Tips for parents (“Buy pastas that are high in protein, legumes, and multigrains”) appear at the bottom of each spread. The children’s expressions of pride and joy may inspire some picky readers to eat their veggies. Ages 3–6.

February 1, 2013
A photo essay depicts children preparing and eating healthy food. With the release of revised dietary guidelines in 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also replaced the food pyramid with an initiative called MyPlate. This title aims to teach children to make healthy food choices based on these guidelines. Kids pour their own milk, make their own shakes and crack eggs all by themselves. (Depicting solo use of blenders and knives, however, may cause concern for some.) With bold background colors, staged photographs of youngsters in every shape and skin tone cover the pages in a simple layout. The diversity of faces is the book's strongest point. The text, however, cannot decide if the audience is children or their adults. Captions repeatedly exclaim, "Good food makes me strong!" while each sidebar provides a tip for caregivers. "Buy pastas that are high in protein, legumes, and multigrains." Contradictorily, the photo shows both wheat and white pasta, while other pages clearly show white flour and rice choices. The endnote contains information on the five food groups, along with the link to the new MyPlate initiative. Even with adorable children playing with healthy food, choose another for teaching the new dietary guidelines. (Informational picture book. 3-6)

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May 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 1-This well-laid-out book is filled with superb color photos of children eating nourishing foods with enjoyment and helping to prepare them. The youngsters are shown in various indoor and outdoor settings, sometimes displaying brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Throughout, text boxes with nutrition tips are clearly meant for adults. The end page includes a handful of additional recommendations (e.g., "Serve children small portions") and a ChooseMyPlate.gov diagram that offer good information, but, again, aimed at adults. The spare text repeats "Good food makes me strong!" and uses sentences like "I make shakes," "I stir the oatmeal," "We grew the vegetables for the salad," etc., but lacks a story line or enough content to make this a valuable resource.-Nancy Jo Lambert, Ruth Borchardt Elementary, Plano, TX

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