A horticulturalist (from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, no less) and a food writer partner to produce a kid-friendly guide to growing and preparing food. Their collaboration is packed with all the basic information would-be green thumbs need to start a garden. They’ll learn about the importance of soil health and composting, tools and equipment, as well as wildlife friends and foes. After a brief intro to plant anatomy and reproduction, the book walks kids through the tasks necessary throughout the growing cycle, from sowing and planting, watering and weeding, to, finally, harvesting. Whether gardening in the backyard, in containers or window boxes, or in a community-garden allotment, tips and tricks galore demonstrate how easy it is. Kids can then delight in transforming home-grown produce into delicious meals. Step-by-step growing guides to individual vegetables precede recipes. Learn how to grow tomatoes before making tomato, feta, and basil pizza or peas for pea gnocchi. All the recipes are simple, tasty, and definitely not boring! This book shares a tactic valued by parents in the know—kids are typically actively excited to eat the foods they grow and cook themselves, thus cultivating healthy eating habits. Vibrant photographs featuring culturally diverse youngsters, sprightly decorative illustrations, and a well-organized layout make the book easy to digest and enjoyable to read. In the back, suggestions for growing varieties and a plant glossary take away the guesswork. Part gardening how-to, part healthy cookbook, this effort offers budding young gardeners (and their adults) a comprehensive, hands-on guide to gardening and cooking.
—Kirkus Reviews STARRED review
An ideal do-it-yourself instruction guide and manual for children ages 7 to 10, and collaborative compiled by Joe Archer (who is head Horticulturalist at England’s Kew Cardens) and Caroline Craig (a food writer from London), “Plant, Cook, Eat!: A Children’s Cookbook” is replete with vibrant photo-illustrations and clearly organized sections. Young readers will discover how to plant seeds in patio containers, window boxes, or on an allotment; harvest fruits and vegetables; determine which plant parts are edible; spot pests in the garden; and use home-grown crops to cook everything from bean and bacon spaghetti to polenta chips to tomato, feta, and basil pizza. Thoroughly ‘kid friendly’ in organization and presentation, “Plant, Cook, Eat!: A Children’s Cookbook” is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school, and community library collections.
—Midwest Book Review
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