The Sweetest Scoop by Lisa Robinson

The Sweetest Scoop: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Revolution                      Words by Lisa Robinson; Pictures by Stacy Innerst

Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2022

What better title to review to celebrate the beginning of summer than a book about Ice Cream! And, not just any ice cream either. Robinson has crafted a mouth-watering narrative of the legendary Ben & Jerry, those hardworking, groovy guys who, together, created some of the best tasting, wackiest named flavors. 

Heather Kelly's illustrations, rendered in watercolor, ink and Photoshop, are playful. Just like the ice cream, the full page pictures are colorful and lend a sense of movement. 

Robinson emphasizes the partner's social activism and their goal of using locally sourced ingredients to make their ice cream, and their interest in making sure their packaging was environmentally friendly.  

An author's note gives a bit more depth on Ben & Jerry's commitment to social and environmental justice.  I was surprised to learn they sold their company in 2000 to Unilever, a multinational food corporation. 

Also included in a timeline and source notes.

The perfect book to curl up with on a hot summer day. Just before heading to the ice cream shop!

Born Hungry by Alex Prud’homme

                                                                                                                                                   Born Hungry:  Julia Child Becomes “the French Chef”.

Written by Alex Prud’homme; Illustrated by Sarah Green.   Calkins Creek. An imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 2022

This picture book biography of famous chef, Julia Child, is written by her grandnephew. His grandfather was the twin brother of Julia’s husband, Paul Child. 

The book offers an uplifting tone with the message that practice is how we master any skill.  “No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” 

The book follows the six feet, two inches tall Julia McWilliams as she was born hungry for adventures. During World War Two, she does have many adventures, but it was after meeting Paul Child that her interest in cooking incredibly yummy foods began.

The books colorful illustrations, done digitally by Green, are delicious and historically accurate. Included is an author’s note, an extensive bibliography of books, tv shows, podcasts, websites and more on Julia Child. The book even includes a bonus recipe for Oeufs Brouillés (Scrambled Eggs)!

“Today, more Americans than ever consider themselves “foodies,” and Julia Child is one of the major reasons why. She was a revolutionary who taught America to cook with a smile.”

WARNING: Don’t read this book on an empty stomach.

There’s No Ham in Hamburgers by Kim Zachman

There’s No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods
By Kim Zachman; Illustrated by Peter Donnelly
Running Press Kids. Hachette Book Group. 2021.

In her author’s note, Zachman states that during an internet search in trying to find out why “hamburgers are called hamburgers when there is no ham in them,” she discovered some very interesting stories about the origin of hamburgers. “I saw stories about Mongolian emperors, German immigrants, and American entrepreneurs. Some of the stories were true; some were partly true; and some were pure legend. It seems that when the facts are few, folklore fills in.”

Zachman investigates ten of our most favorite fast foods. From hamburgers, pizza, french fries, ice cream, hot dogs, chicken fingers to peanut butter (my favorite food), cookies, chocolate, and cereal.

For example, in order to feed his troops the ruthless conqueror, Genghis Khan (1162-1227), had his soldiers put raw meat scraps under their horses saddles. “The constant friction from hours of riding tenderized the meat enough for soldiers to eat it” while trotting across the tundra. It was a few centuries later, in the 1500's, in Hamburg, Germany, those meat patties were cooked, topped with sautéed onions. This yummy treat became a local favorite in Germany. When, "in the 1800's,  millions of Germans immigrated to the United States, they brought their Hamburg steak with them."

I loved knowing that George Washington ate a lot of ice cream. In fact, he racked up a bill for $200 at an ice cream shop in New York City. According to Zachman, “That would be like you spending $5,000 in one Baskin-Robbins in three months!” Now that’s a lot of ice cream. 

America has always been described as a melting pot, and Zachman does make a strong connection, in every chapter, that America's favorite foods were influenced by other cultures and brought to this country by immigrants. 

The book contains an author’s note, table of content, source notes, and index. Throughout each chapter are informative side bars, recipes and science experiments.

A fun, and quite delicious topic for those who love food and history. 

Our recommendation is not to read this on an empty stomach.

The Poison Eaters

The Poison Eaters: Fighting Danger and Fraud in Our Food and Drugs
by Gail Jarrow
Calkins Creek, 2019
Grades 6 and up

Gail Jarrow is the master of blending science, history and government policy into a fascinating nonfiction read for tweens and teens. Her past books have covered topics such as typhoid fever, the bubonic plague and pellagra. In The Poison Eaters, Jarrow paints a vivid picture of what life was like for ordinary Americans before the government passed food safety laws and established the Food and Drug Administration. Can you imagine a time when corporations put lead, cocaine, arsenic and morphine in our food and health products? The book places the spotlight on the mavericks and mud rakers, such as Harvey Wiley, who stood up to big businesses and the government to protect the health and safety of our citizens. Readers will learn about how the Food and Drug Administration was formed and which presidents supported and opposed regulating the food industry. In addition to food safety, the book examines beauty products, medications and home remedies from the turn of the 20th century to present day.

This text is written in an intriguing, narrative style accompanied by many primary sources including advertisements, photographs and newspaper articles. The book gets its title from a controversial study that was performed on healthy, male subjects who were served a daily dose of boric acid in their meals. Wiley used the study to prove that boric acid was not safe for human consumption; and the subjects of the study became known as "The Poison Eaters." As with Jarrow's other books, the story unfolds chronologically and ends with the present day allowing readers to make comparisons between past and present. Don't skip over the back matter, which includes a lengthy bibliography, source notes, timeline, and an author's note. I'm intrigued to find out what topic Jarrow will tackle next!

Other books by Gail Jarrow:
Fatal Fever
Bubonic Panic
Spooked!
Red Madness

Magic Ramen by Andrea Wang

Magic Ramen: the story of Momofuko Ando

Written by Andrea Wang: Illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz

Little bee books. 2019

All ages

Ramen noodles. Mmmm! Ever wonder who invented those yummy, inexpensive, easy to make noodles that have become a staple for college students? Wang and Urbanowicz have partnered on this engaging informational picture book on how the world’s most popular food came to be.

At the end of World War II, food was still scarce for people living in Japan. Those lucky enough to have money had to wait in long lines and pay outrages prices for a bowl of noodles that took forever to cook. The poor survived on grass and bark or scrounged through the garbage looking for something to eat. Taiwan-born Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando (1910-2007) saw the hunger and long lines for the expensive ramen and  was determined to create a new product that would be nutritious and be ready to eat instantly.

Ando was constantly testing this and that, but finally, after years of trying, he figured it out. First fry the noodles in oil, place them into a bowl, add hot water and “Yatta!” “That’s It!”

“In 1958, twelve years after seeing hungry people at black market ramen stalls, Ando invented Chikin Ramen, the first instant ramen.” His company, Nissin Foods, sells the instant ramen all over the world. Still inventing, at age 91, Ando invented Space Ram. Instant noodles that could be eaten in zero gravity. Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi became the first person to eat ramen in outer space, aboard the US space shuttle Discovery.

Back matter includes an author's note, pronunciation guide, and an afterword offering more details on Ando's life.

This book is sure to be popular with those who love reading about people being creative.   

To write this review, I borrowed the book from my local public library.

Popcorn Country: The Story of America's Favorite Snack Chris Peterson

Popcorn Country: The Story of America's Favorite Snack
Chris Peterson; Photographs by David R. Lundquist
Boyds Mill Press, an imprint of Highlights. 2019
Grades 2 and up

How do YOU like your popcorn? 
In Popcorn Country, Peterson takes readers on a journey to show how popcorn goes from kernel planted in a field to our pantries. One of America's favorite snack, "Every year we devour four and a half billion gallons of the stuff. That's enough to fill the Empire State Building from top to bottom eighteen times."

Traveling to the Corn Belt, a swath of land from Ohio to Nebraska, we follow the growth cycle of popcorn. Planted in April or early May, the plants will need twenty-five inches of rain to grow. In the fall, once it is ripe, it is harvested by giant mechanical harvesters and taken by truck to processing facilities. Once there, the popcorn kernels are tested for its pop-ability.

The text is enhanced by Lundquist's large, color photographs.

Back matter includes a brief history of popcorn and source notes, both print and websites. 
This does not include any conversation on genetically modified (GMO) corn nor comments on factory vs. organic farming.

So. How do you like your popcorn?
Me? I love it popped in olive oil, topped with a little melted butter, salt, and nutritional yeast. Mmm! Mmmm! Lip-smackin' good!

The publisher sent me a copy of this book to review.

Plant, Cook, Eat! by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig

Plant, Cook, Eat! : A Children’s Cookbook

By Joe Archer and Caroline Craig

Charlesbridge. 2018

ISBN: 9781580898171

All ages

To write this review, I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Growing your own food can be a rewarding family experience. Children love to watch the magic as the little seeds sprout and grow into a tasty tomato, spinach, or peas. The authors of Plant, Cook, Eat! have put together a very inspiring book about the joys of growing and cooking vegetables. The book is illustrated with color photos that offer inspiration and a visual of what is being explained in the text.

The first part gives double-page tips on all things you need to know to get started. From what plants need to grow, getting tools and equipment, making compost, to deciding whether to have a garden plot or pots on the porch. Part two offers more specific information on each vegetable covered in the book - kale, carrots, peas, onions, lettuce, pole beans, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, peppers, swiss chard, and zucchini, followed by a yummy recipe. 

Grow peas? Make pea gnocchi. Potatoes? How about potato pancakes? The cooking directions are clear and easy to follow.  Photos show the finished dish. 

Back matter includes further information on vegetable varieties, glossary, and index.

A visual treat, this is a great book to add to your collections, and share with students or families these last few weeks of winter.

About the authors: Joe Archer is the horticulturalist at Kew Gardens in the UK and Caroline Craig is cook and food writer at The Guardian.

Louise 

The Story of Seeds

The Story of Seeds: From Mendel's Garden to Your Plate, and How There's More of Less to Eat Around the World
by Nancy F. Castaldo
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-32023-9
Grades 6-12

Nancy Castaldo, author of Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World, has turned her attention to the topic of seeds. In her new nonfiction book for tweens and teens, Castaldo writes about the importance of seed diversity and health. You might wonder why an author would devote an entire book to seeds. In chapter one, the Castaldo explains that seeds are in danger. "Our diversity is shrinking fast. The world's seed are in crisis." We should pay attention because, "Seeds equal life."

The book begins with a history of Gregor Mendel and his experiments with pea plants and dominant traits before moving on to Luther Burbank, who experimented with crossing different varieties of plants. History buffs will be interested in the chapters describing how people saved seeds in times of war to ensure there would be food once the war was over. Several chapters are devoted to the thesis that diversity in seeds is essential to life. Castaldo uses the potato famine in Ireland as a prime example of what can happen when "monoculture" is practiced.

Seed banks also play a vital role in saving the world's crops. The book features seed banks in Russian, Norway and the United States. Teens who have heard about GMOs in the news will appreciate the clear and thoughtful way the book explains how GMOs have negatively impacted crops in places like India where farmers are forced to purchase expensive cotton seeds from Monsanto. Castaldo explains the difference between the natural process of hybridization and genetic modification that occurs in a laboratory. The book also introduces readers to scientists and activists from the past and present who are working to ensure the preservation of seeds from around the world.

The design of the book is ideal, including the small trim size, glossy pages, colorful photos and sidebars placed at the ends of chapters. Important vocabulary words are highlighted and defined throughout the book.  The final chapter persuades readers to take action by swapping seeds, shopping at farmers' markets, and planting their own gardens. Back matter includes a list of seed libraries by state, a glossary and a list additional books and videos on the topic.

Pair The Story of Seeds with Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Potato Famine by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat by Michael Pollan. The Story of Seeds is recommended for high school science classes or for teen readers interested in learning about the world's food supply, genetics and gardening.

Visit the author's site to download a curriculum guide.

The reviewer received a copy of the book from the publisher.