Edible Colors by Jennifer Vogel Bass

Did you know that:

broccoli can be purple,
bananas can be red,
and cherries can be yellow? 

As a foodie, I dig books like this. Not only does Jennifer Vogel Bass introduce kids to colors by showing fruits and veggies that we are familiar with like yellow corn, orange carrots, and green cucumbers, but in Edible Colors, she also familiarizes them to unusual, lesser-known varieties of fruits and veggies such as purple carrots, red dacca bananas, blue jade corn, and white queen tomatoes, which Bass grows her in very own garden in New Jersey.

In order for kids to grow up and have a healthy relationship with food, we should be making the process of where food comes from more transparent and less mysterious. As a child, I was an extremely picky eater, and rarely ate vegetables. But food was always something my parents just placed in front of me, never sharing how they made it, where it came from, or involving me in the process. As I grew into adulthood and had to learn to cook for myself, I was tired of my regular bland palate and began educating myself and experimenting with different flavors, textures, and foods. Parents who lament about their kids being picky eaters should start bringing them into the kitchen and garden to broaden their palate and expand their curiosity for a variety of foods.

The fruits and vegetables in Edible Colors are presented in photographs taken against a stark white background to allow for their colors to be the star.  This will undoubtedly make you want to take a trip to the farmers market to hunt down some of the fruits and veggies you may have never seen before. I know I am anxious to seek out a purple bell pepper, a black Spanish radish, and a Buddha's Hand citron after reading this.

Parents looking to expand their children's palate should look no further than Edible Colors.


Edible Colors by Jennifer Vogel Bass
Published: November 4, 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 32
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Audience: Primary
Disclosure: Library Copy
 
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