See What We Eat! A First Book of Healthy Living. Scot Ritchie. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2017. 32 pp., hardcover, $16.99. ISBN 978-1-77138-618-0. Subject Headings: Food-Juvenile literature. Nutrition-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-4 / Ages 7-9. Review by Sophia Hunter. *** /4

excerpt:

It's time to go home and start baking, so everyone gets back in the van.

On the way, they drive past a large food warehouse. Foods that aren't grown or made locally are sent by truck, plane, train or ship and stored here.

Food from the warehouse is delivered to grocery stores to be sold.

See What We Eat!, an illustrated nonfiction book, helps children think about where their food comes from. It focuses on the local community and shows that people in our city or neighbourhood help to grow the food that we eat. The connection is made between healthy food and local food.

      Different food types are mentioned, including foods from varied cultures, such as hummus or chapatis. Protein is equated with animal products, although there is a brief reference to nuts. This meat/protein connection might alienate some readers who do not eat animal products for ethical or religious reasons. Processed food is not mentioned as the food discussed is all cooked at home. The book includes a page on composting as well as a recipe for apple crisp.

      The book follows the layout of other books in the "First Book" series from Kids Can Press. On each page, there is a clear heading, concise informative text and engaging full-colour images with characters and speech bubbles to support the big idea.

      Classrooms will find See What We Eat! useful for both food and community inquiry. Public libraries will find it a good addition for young families that enjoy growing their own vegetables or cooking at home.

Highly Recommended.

Sophia Hunter is a teacher-librarian at Crofton House School in Vancouver, BC.

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