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The ABC's of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond
This book, for elementary school children, uses the alphabet
to explore food and farming through poems, activities, jokes, and riddles.
Part One teaches the ABC's using poems to educate the reader about fruits and
vegetables. Part Two takes the lesson a step beyond by introducing food facts,
jokes, recipes, shopping tips, and websites, where the authors further link
their messages to health-friendly children's books. Each section is arranged
by the alphabet and the same fruit and vegetable is featured in each section.
For example if a child enjoyed the poem about carrots in part one, she might
want to explore the carrot cookie recipe in part two.
The book accomplishes several goals. It can be a valuable tool for introducing
the alphabet to a young child while exploring healthy eating habits. The older
child will be able to learn how fruits and vegetables relate to history, geography,
art, literature, science and gardening. Great recipes and fun food ideas will
help create a young food connoisseur in the kitchen.
Overall the book is fun to read with many colorful pictures and is geared more towards the elementary school child. This is a great resource for nutrition educators and teachers as it could easily be utilized in a variety of subjects to teach children about nutrition in the class room. Teachers could use a new letter with its corresponding fruit or vegetable each week in a lesson plan to help create healthy eating habits in their students while teaching them about science, art, geography and literature.
The book suggests a multitude of activities that can inspire the entire family
to get involved in making healthy lifestyle choices together. Don't be surprised
if you find this book with your own bedtime reading.
After reading this book with your child:
- Ask your child to name 2 fruits and vegetables from specific letters in the alphabet.
- Ask your child if they know 1 or 2 facts about their particular choices, if not re-discover them together.
- Create a meal or snack using the choices the child selected.
The ABC's of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond by S. Charney and D. Goldbeck. Ceres Press, New York: 2007 is available in bookstores or can be ordered directly from Ceres Press, PO Box 87, Woodstock NY 12498 for $16.95 plus $4.50 S/H. (845) 679-5573. For online discounts visit HealthyHighways.com.
Silje Mork Bjorndal is a graduate nutrition student with a bachelor's degree in biotechnology who graduated with honors. After completing her internship and education she will be qualified to sit for the Commission of Dietetics Registry Exam to become a Registered Dietitian.
