A Is for Artichoke

September 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 4-This is not your typical concept book where "A is for Apple" and "B is for Banana." Rather, this is an informational primer for young foodies and those interested in basic nutrition and cooking tips. Here readers find that "A is for Artichoke," "B is for Brine," and "D is for Dulse" (as the text explains, "Sea vegetables are some of the most nutritious food on the planet."). This board book can be used in multiple ways. The youngest of readers will enjoy identifying the letters and laughing at the anthropomorphized food. The book can extend beyond the early years as each page also includes a definition and some background information on the profiled food or ingredient. America's Test Kitchen is known for teaching home cooks, and this is their first board book venture to hopefully inspire the youngest of chefs. While it may not be a read-it-again bedtime favorite, many young children will enjoy the graphics and the new vocabulary. It is never too early to expose children to rich and complex terminology as well as important nutritional education. VERDICT Foodies will love this celebration of all good things to eat. Also an excellent introduction to more complex culinary vocabulary.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
America's Test Kitchen presents 26 facts about food and cookery for aspiring chefs.Designed as a multileveled text intended to grow with its reader and laid out one letter per page, the book first presents a statement in a large typeface: "K is for Kumquats." A short explanation that "Kumquats are tiny citrus fruits" follows in smaller type, and this is succeeded by a long, expository paragraph in even tinier print. Combined, it makes an overwhelmingly print-heavy page. Writing for young foodies is a tasty concept, but the book's ingredients don't quite meld. There are pages among the esoteric mix of food and cooking techniques detailing familiar items such as "oven" or "vanilla," but too many cover topics far too sophisticated for the audience. Few toddlers will grasp that "Umami" enhances taste or that lox "is cured but not smoked." Older foodies may appreciate the material but not the board-book format, and all readers may find the clinical tone, like an unbrined turkey, to be a little dry. Digitally collaged illustrations gamely make the subject as much fun as possible, with lively faces plastered on food and utensils and vibrant colors to make the tasty morsels pop. Dashes of wit spice things up, such as a peppermint leaf soaking in a hot mug of water, spa candles and fuzzy slippers at the ready. A simultaneously publishing companion, 123 the Farm and Me, shares both approach and flaws.This well-intentioned but overambitious book has too many ingredients to create a delectable whole. (Board book. 1-4)

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