Review by Booklist Review
A cheerful cast of multicultural kids demonstrates how plants are instrumental parts of what we eat in the latest from Rockwell (The Busy Body Book, 2004). Detailed colored-pencil-and-gouache illustrations show plants and the parts we harvest for food leaves from lettuce and chard plants; roots and tubers from carrot and potato plants; fruits from apple trees, tomato plants, blueberry bushes, and pumpkin vines; seeds from wheat grass and walnut trees; and all kinds of beans from pods of many shapes. Full-page spreads depict children in the garden and on a farm harvesting fruits and vegetables, and helpful cross sections and close-ups reveal plants above and below the ground, with each part clearly labeled and a recognizable image of what that plant looks like once it gets to a grocery store. It's easy to forget where everyday food comes from, but this gentle, colorful picture book explains, simply and accurately, how food gets from the garden and farm onto dining-room tables.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a celebration of growing (and eating) fresh vegetables and fruit, Rockwell's glossy digital artwork depicts upbeat children plucking apples, picking tomatoes, planting seeds, and watering gardens. A cross-section of a garden bed shows plants like asparagus, onion, parsnip, and beets, their roots fanning down into the soil; other pages focus on fruits ("Pumpkins, peppers, and eggplants are fruits too") and seeds, including beans, rice, wheat, and walnuts. The basic, declarative sentences and use of repetition-"I eat different parts from different plants. Sometimes I eat the leaves. And sometimes I eat the roots and tubers"-underscore the message suggested by the title. Rockwell treats each vegetable like a treasure; even kids with aversions to veggies may be intrigued. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This helpful book for young readers sheds light on the edible aspects of plants. Through first-person narration, Rockwell covers where plants grow and discusses their different parts (fruits, seeds, stems), explaining which ones we consume. Vivid and detailed gauche and colored-pencil-on-paper illustrations fill each page, and many of the pictures are actually large diagrams with labels and captions that complement the facts described. Though the text is simple and straightforward, it's perfect for developing readers. This book will make a fine addition to libraries that serve children and have a need for materials on this particular subject matter.-Nancy Jo Lambert, Ruth Borchardt Elementary, Plano, TX (c) Copyright 2014. 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
Fruits hang from the tomato plant. / Pumpkins, peppers, and eggplants are fruits too." A young boy describes the different parts of plants he eats, such as leaves of spinach, stems of asparagus, bulbs of onions, flowers of broccoli, and fruit of tomato and walnuts. Straightforward text and clear, well-labeled, pleasing illustrations make this a useful introduction to botany. (c) Copyright 2014. 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.
