Review by Booklist Review
Everyone knows that, as Butterworth puts it. food doesn't grow in stores. But children who haven't given the subject further thought will find this sunny, high-energy account of food production and distribution an appetizing eye-opener. Tucking commentary into the spaces around Gaggiotti's bright, retro-style cartoon scenes of happy workers in fields, plantations, orchards, and factories, the author traces the journeys taken by major ingredients of bread, cheese, apple juice, and chocolate chips, as well as cherry tomatoes. sweet and crunch. carrots, and juicy clementines, from harvest to noontime treat. Schematic as it is only the spread on chocolate features a map, for instance, and there's seldom a mention of added ingredients this book will leave kids regarding their packed lunches with new appreciation. Closing with a taste-tempting chart of basic food groups and general advice about healthy eating habits, this is a natural lead-in for such foodie classics as Marjorie Priceman's How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World (1994) or Shelley Rotner and Julia Pemberton Hellum's Hold the Anchovies! (1996).--Peters, Joh. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With reader-directed prose and cheerfully retro artwork, Butterworth and Gaggiotti use a balanced meal-sandwich, fruit, veggies, juice box, and cookie-to explain how foodstuffs make it from farms, dairies, and factories into kids' lunches. It's clear that the book's goal is encouraging kids to truly think about their food: how it's made and where it comes from, yes, but also how it tastes ("Bite into your cheese-it's creamy and smooth, but tasty, too-and TINGLY on your tongue!") and what it does for their bodies. If it feels a tad optimistic given the modern dominance of frozen, fast, and processed food, it's an accessible primer for families looking to foster healthy habits. Ages 5-8. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Focusing on the contents of one child's lunchbox, Butterworth describes where the bread, cheese, tomatoes, apple juice, carrots, chocolate chips, and a clementine come from and how they get to local stores. The author explains how these products are grown and manufactured, and attention is paid to the many workers involved in the process. The production of each item is described on a spread, with a solid black font and accompanying illustrations arranged in flow-chart style. The sometimes-wordy text and detailed artwork work well together to identify the processing steps. Concluding comments note the importance of drinking water, eating breakfast, exercising, and consuming both vegetables and fruits. The energetic mixed-media artwork, populated with smiling workers, perks up the writing. Small details tucked within the illustrations would be best seen when reading the book one-on-one. Patterned endpapers showcase a repetitive selection of foods. A great springboard to units on food and nutrition.-Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Every kid knows food comes from the grocery store, but this appetizing book encourages elementary-age readers to think about where it comes from "before it was in the store." Taking stock of the contents of a typical school lunchbox, Butterworth and Gaggiotti serve up a tantalizing and easy-to-digest overview of seven familiar ingredients' journeys, from the bread holding a sandwich together to the chocolate chips in a cookie. Each well-designed double-page spread whisks readers from the farm (or grove or orchard) through the production process (at the mill, the bakery, the dairy, etc.) to the delivery of the final product. Butterworth (Sea Horse, rev. 7/06) distills the facts down to their essence, breezily presenting highlights without getting mired in details. Her mouth-watering descriptions could almost stand alone: "when bunches of ripe, scarlet tomatoes dangled from the branches, the grower picked them"; "the clementines had turned orange and were so heavy and full of juice that they made the branches droop." Gaggiotti's retro cartoon illustrations are equally informative and appetite-whetting, complementing and extending the text. The pages' rounded corners echo the shape of a lunchbox but also make the book appear to be for a younger audience, which may put off some veteran lunchbox carriers. The book's last four pages are the icing on the nonfiction cake: a brief look at the food groups, some nutrition facts, and a simple index. Bon apptit! kitty Flynn (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
