cover image Plants Feed Me

Plants Feed Me

Lizzy Rockwell. Holiday House, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-2526-6

In a celebration of growing (and eating) fresh vegetables and fruit, Rockwell’s glossy digital artwork depicts upbeat children plucking apples, picking tomatoes, planting seeds, and watering gardens. A cross-section of a garden bed shows plants like asparagus, onion, parsnip, and beets, their roots fanning down into the soil; other pages focus on fruits (“Pumpkins, peppers, and eggplants are fruits too”) and seeds, including beans, rice, wheat, and walnuts. The basic, declarative sentences and use of repetition—“I eat different parts from different plants. Sometimes I eat the leaves. And sometimes I eat the roots and tubers”—underscore the message suggested by the title. Rockwell treats each vegetable like a treasure; even kids with aversions to veggies may be intrigued. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)