May 9, 2011
Farmers' marketâfresh vegetables (blemishes and all) are the subject of this vividly photographed bookâthink of it as a call to farms. Each page features a different grouping of veggies: leafy bok choy pairs with brussels sprouts still on the stalks; habanero, jalapeño, and serrano peppers form a vibrant array of greens, reds, and oranges; and pumpkins nestle alongside eggplants. Sayre's alliterative phrases don't offer much in the way of description ("Root for rutabagas./ Bounce for beets!/ Pile up parsnips./ Turnip treats!")âthey more resemble a cheerleader's cheer or a playground rhyming gameâbut the brilliant colors and inviting textures might just tempt a few picky eaters. Ages 3â7.
May 15, 2011
Preschool-G The produce glossily portrayed in this photo-essay looks good enough to eat, which is clearly the point. Many young children claim they dont like veggies; this attractive array, picturing vegetables in their freshly harvested, brightly colored glory, before any slicing, dicing, or cooking has been done, makes produce seem downright fun. Some are more commonly known, such as corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes; others will be new to most kids, such as fennel, kohlrabi, and rutabagas. The energetic rhyme features lots of action (Pile up peppersbananas, bells. / Crunch their colors. Smell their smells!) and is best read aloud. Families could read this together before or after a trip to the grocery store or farmers market; teachers and librarians could feature it on Earth Day or any time resources are needed about food, health, or plants. A good, sturdy, health-conscious choice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
Starred review from May 15, 2011
Let's hear it for the veggies! This cheerful chant pairs pithy couplets with the author's photographs of farmer's market beauties.
The staccato rhymes suggest themselves for all sorts of exuberant oration, from simple read-alouds to more orchestrated pageantry, perhaps involving kids as players. (Cauliflower pom-poms, anyone?) Page turns are cleverly used to add further punch to the rhymes: "Lettuce. Lima. Go, green bean! / Cucumber's cool. Kohlrabi's queen!" The photographs, as sturdy and delicious as their subjects, occasionally pull off a visual pun: The aforementioned queenly kohlrabies sport crowns of trimmed stalks that indeed lend a regal air. Photos, bordered with thin white lines in offset rectangles, appear against pages of green, gold, eggplant-purple or tomato-red. (Yup, it's a fruit, but it makes several honorary appearances.) Crisp white type in the serif font "Calvert" adds the right rah-rah touch. The most pleasing aspect about this crunch-fest for parents and caregivers, arguably, is its happy presumption: What kid wouldn't love to both celebrate and chow down on these fresh and fabulous foods? Indeed, Sayre's appended a page of facts and suggestions and notes that "No vegetables were harmed or mistreated in the making of this book. Most, however, were later eaten."
A winning recipe blending crispy verse and fresh photography: Go team! (Picture book. 3-7)(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
July 1, 2011
Energetic rhymes accompanied by color photos inventory veggies at an indoor farmers' market: "Head for cabbage. / Greens for sale. / Fall for fennel, / Swiss chard, / kale!" The variety and arrangements of good-looking produce will get kids pointing to vegetables they see on trips to the market (next step: eating!). A brief appended note tells more about veggies.
(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from June 1, 2011
PreS-Gr 2-This cheerleader chant for vegetables in all their variations is perfectly timed to ride the impassioned slow-food movement popularized by the First Lady and Food Network celebrity chefs. Sayre's catchy, rhyming verse has an infectious rhythm that begs to be read aloud. "Rah, rah, radishes!/Red and white./Carrots are calling./Take a bite!/Oh boy, bok choy!/Brussels sprout./Broccoli. Cauliflower./Shout it out!" Sayre goes far beyond the traditional vegetables shown in picture-book classics like Lois Ehlert's Growing Vegetable Soup (Harcourt, 1987), introducing readers to Swiss chard, shallots, a variety of South American peppers, fennel, parsnips, and other veggie delights. Each page calls out a cheer-worthy vegetable in two short lines of text, accompanied by a large, colorful photograph. Sayre's work in this department is not the most polished; the images have the homegrown feel of pictures taken at the local farmer's market during a family outing, setting just the right tone for a work that will have high appeal for families eager to learn about the food world beyond the grocery store. The author closes with a thank you to farmers and bees, as well as the charge, "Sun and season, leaf and stalk./Know them. Grow them!/Veggies rock!" With its upbeat, easy-to-digest text and large, clear images, this book will become a go-to choice in spring-themed preschool storytimes and early elementary health or environmental units.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.