by Gail Gibbons
School Library Journal K-Gr 3-Gibbons, the author of The Vegetables We Eat (Holiday House, 2007), now turns her attention to fruit. She begins by stating the importance of incorporating it into a healthy diet, the difference between annual and perennial varieties, and various ways to consume them (fresh, juices, sauces). The author provides details about how fruits grow: on plants, bushes, trees, and vines. Each section contains an informative, eye-catching heading; succinctly presented text; and delightful, cheery watercolor illustrations. Gibbons depicts examples of fruits that grow on different kinds of vegetation (for instance, pineapple plants, cherry trees), provides labeled cutaways of their parts, and describes how they are harvested. Readers learn the differences between wild and cultivated berries and what parts of various fruits are planted to produce more. The text also briefly covers large industrial farms and small fruit growers, fruit processing and transportation, and the fresh produce available in stores and farm stands. Kids will learn some surprising facts (for instance, olives are fruits), and a trivia section at the end may encourage further research. Stoke children's enthusiasm by pairing this useful overview with April Pulley Sayre's rousing Go, Go Grapes!: A Fruit Chant (S. & S., 2012). VERDICT A charming addition to nutrition and food units.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT (c) Copyright 2015. 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. Library Journal K-Gr 3-Gibbons, the author of The Vegetables We Eat (Holiday House, 2007), now turns her attention to fruit. She begins by stating the importance of incorporating it into a healthy diet, the difference between annual and perennial varieties, and various ways to consume them (fresh, juices, sauces). The author provides details about how fruits grow: on plants, bushes, trees, and vines. Each section contains an informative, eye-catching heading; succinctly presented text; and delightful, cheery watercolor illustrations. Gibbons depicts examples of fruits that grow on different kinds of vegetation (for instance, pineapple plants, cherry trees), provides labeled cutaways of their parts, and describes how they are harvested. Readers learn the differences between wild and cultivated berries and what parts of various fruits are planted to produce more. The text also briefly covers large industrial farms and small fruit growers, fruit processing and transportation, and the fresh produce available in stores and farm stands. Kids will learn some surprising facts (for instance, olives are fruits), and a trivia section at the end may encourage further research. Stoke children's enthusiasm by pairing this useful overview with April Pulley Sayre's rousing Go, Go Grapes!: A Fruit Chant (S. & S., 2012). VERDICT A charming addition to nutrition and food units.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT © Copyright 2015. 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. |
