Garden to Table: A Kid's Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food

Gr 4–7—This attractive guide instructs readers in the cultivation of basil, carrots, green beans, lettuce, potatoes, and tomatoes. Instructions for growing the produce have been given with container gardening in mind, offering a practical alternative for readers with limited space, but they could easily be adapted for those with garden plots. The overall presentation is top-notch, providing clear, concise instructions heavily complemented by the book's visually rich format. High-quality photographs accompany every cooking term, ingredient, and kitchen tool as well as practically each step of the growing process and recipes. While maintaining the focus on the freshly grown foods featured, the recipes do sometimes call for prepared ingredients readily available in grocery stores. The recipes themselves are an eclectic blend of some classic staples such as salsa, salad, and oven fries, and more unusual fare: pickled carrots, basil cake, and sushi rolls. All are appealing, and most seem quite manageable by kids with minimal adult supervision. A sophisticated volume that is sure to garner kid interest while whetting appetites, this is a great tool for bridging the world of agriculture with culinary sustenance. Gardening and cooking collections would benefit from this title, and it would be an ideal guide for those wishing to start a new venture with kids.—Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library