Grow your greens: Garden to Table

Hengel, Katherine. Garden To Table: A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food. Scarletta Junior Readers, 2014. 144 pages. Tr. $13.61, ISBN 978-1-938063-42-8

Interest Level: 3-6

Cuisine: American New – NOT vegetarian

This book not only provides recipes for foods kids can make, but it also gives detailed instructions as to how kids can plant, nurture, and grow different herbs and vegetables. “Farm to Table” is something that I know many California schools are trying to teach their students more about, and having a book in the collection that will give students a “garden to table” experience can help kids figure out what goes into growing your own food and feeding your family. The photographs are amazing and give quite a bit of detail, and the instructions for both the planting and food preparation activities are clear and easy to follow. Each “planting” section includes graphics that show how deep seeds should be planted and how one’s pot should look inside (i.e., layers of soil, plant food, etc.). This book also includes allergy warnings where appropriate, explaining to readers what allergies are and why it is important to be aware of others’ allergies when preparing food for other people. Recipes in this book include ideas for Basil Parmesan Dip, Caprese Melts, Green Bean Salad, Potato Cakes, and more. This book leans towards savory dishes, but some cake recipes are included, so our young farmers can also make themselves some dessert. The reason that I chose this book was that it includes information not only on how to cook but also how to grow things that you can cook.

 

Reviews referenced:

Booklist. (2014, Feb. 15). (untitled) (Review of the book Garden To Table: A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food).   Booklist, 110(12). Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Gueorguiev, R. (2014, June 1). Garden to table: A kid’s guide to planting, growing, and     preparing food (Review of the book Garden To Table: A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food). School Library Journal, 60(6). Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Kirkus Reviews. (2014, May 1). Garden to table: A kid’s guide to planting, growing, and   preparing food (Review of the book Garden To Table: A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food). Library Media Connection. Retrieved from       https://www.kirkusreviews.com/

Library Media Connection. (2015, March/April). (untitled) (Review of the book    Garden To Table: A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food). Library Media Connection, 33(5). Retrieved from http://www.abc- clio.com/LibrariesUnlimited.aspx