Popcorn country The story of America's favorite snack

PreS-Gr 3-This in-depth look at the popcorn-growing process will spark the interest of snack fans of all ages. Popcorn Country begins by explaining the different types of corn produced by the United States, followed by information about how one particular variety, popcorn, is grown, harvested, and shipped throughout the world. Factoids about corn varieties and the science behind how a popcorn kernel pops will spark the interest of young readers. The photographs depict the corn's life cycle and will be helpful especially for readers unfamiliar with farm equipment. The back matter includes a brief history as well as sources for additional information, which will be useful for educators working this title into a classroom setting. VERDICT This look at popcorn production will appeal to readers interested in food, farming, or science, and to educators. A suggested purchase for most collections.-Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The subtitle says it all.Americans eat 4.5 billion gallons of popcorn each year, or 18 times the volume of the Empire State Building. Every year, they eat 200 million boxes of Cracker Jack, that combination of popcorn, peanut, and molasses so many Americans grew up with. Ubiquitous as it is, however, the youngest readers may not realize that popcorn is actually a plant from "the land of wind turbines and flat-as-a-pancake prairie" known as the Corn Belt. Big, bright color photographs nicely complement the informative text, which details where popcorn is grown, how it is one of four types of corn grown on 90 million acres of land, and that popcorn is not simply picked, shucked, and shelled; the kernels must be processed and dried so they have just the right amount of moisture for popping. A particularly clear explanation of the physics of popcorn is a highlight. The photographs, laid out in a pleasantly varied design, present a diverse cast of smiling children enjoying popcorn. The penultimate spread presents a photograph of a huge ship loaded with containers of popcorn bound for countries all over the world, demonstrating just what big business popcorn is. Additional information is contained in the backmatter, and sources include books for children who might want to read further.Solid information and much food for thought. (Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.