World Food Alphabet

Caldicott gives readers a culinary world tour in this photographic alphabet book. Noodles, the N entry, are pictured being served in a cafe in Vietnam and at a street stall in Thailand. On the opposite page, a shop attendant in Morocco is surrounded by bowls and jars of olives. K stands for kitchens, with images of a well-equipped kitchen in London and spare kitchens in a village in the Rajasthan desert. Caldicott also elaborates on the origins of foods with “J is for journeys,” comparing how people in some cultures drive to the store, while others “walk every day to a well just to collect water.” Though the descriptions can be somewhat bland, the photographs offer vivid pictures of the foodstuffs and culinary activities that unite people across cultures. Ages 4–7. (Apr.)