Loosely linking quirky, random facts about food, Eliot begins on the farm ("Carrots and peas help each other grow"). The conversational text then samples "movie foods" (popcorn, candy), ice cream (and "brain freeze"), toast, Granny Smith apples, and more (including dishwashers and Mr. Potato Head). Colorful cartoony panels show zany animals eating, cooking, and dressing up as vegetables. "Fun Facts" are appended.

Gr 1-3 The latest addition to this ongoing series takes on food. The topics bounce from one to the next like a marble in an arcade game: the author goes from describing companion planting to discussing corn and its many uses to examining how popcorn pops to exploring its historical use at the movies. Through chatty writing, Eliot provides historical details and simple scientific explanations and plies readers with questions, drawing them into the conversation: "Did you know?" "What's your favorite?" "Have you ever?" This compilation of fun, high-interest facts is matched by busy cartoon art that uses animals in place of humans. VERDICT While the lack of photos may be off-putting to some, this title is a nice choice for younger readers. Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

This collection of food facts is all over the menu, skipping from vegetables to candy to fruits and nuts, but it's definitely diverting. Part of the Did You Know? series, this features a large variety of food-related information. It starts with science, explaining the book's title and the concept of "companion planting," before briefly discussing such physical phenomena as the ice-cream brain freeze and the chocolate rush. Eliot also provides historical background, as with the origins of such disparate inventions as the microwave, the ice-cream cone, and Mr. Potato Head. The cultural history extends beyond American borders: for example, a double-page spread is devoted to depicting the massive food fight, involving about 150,000 tomatoes, that occurs each year in the Spanish town of Bunol. Spurgeon's illustrations are unabashedly cartoony, featuring busy scenes and smiling animals, several of whom are dressed as fruits and vegetables. The book may pique the curiosity of those interested in delving deeper into the fascinating facts of food.