It's easy to forget the amount of labor involved in getting food to our tables, and entries in the Who Made My Lunch? series aim to demystify that process. Each title starts at the beginning, with the plants and animals that produce our food, before moving on to harvesting, transportation, and production. From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate acknowledges the prevalence of child labor in the industry (and recommends buying fair trade) before explaining how cocoa beans are dried, roasted, and ground with sugar or milk before they can be made into a bar. Warm, detailed illustrations depict people with a variety of skin tones performing each step of the process, and occasional diagrams offer additional details. With inviting sentences and clearly explained concepts, these genial volumes have abundant appeal.

Heos, Bridget . From Grapes to Jelly . ISBN 9781681511221 ; ISBN 9781681521473 . Heos, Bridget . From Milk to Cheese . ISBN 9781681511191 ; ISBN 9781681521442 . Heos, Bridget . From Milk to Ice Cream . ISBN 9781681511214 ; ISBN 9781681521466 . Heos, Bridget . From Peanuts to Peanut Butter . ISBN 9781681511238 ; ISBN 9781681521480 . Heos, Bridget . From Wheat to Bread . ISBN 9781681511184 ; ISBN 9781681521435 . ea vol: illus. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. 24p. (Who Made My Lunch?). further reading. glossary. maps. websites. Amicus . Jul. 2017. lib. ed. $29.95. pap. $8.99. K-Gr 3Prompted by the question "Who made my lunch?," these titles highlight the people responsible for the production of food items, such as the wheat farmer, miller, and baker who produce sandwich bread, or the dairy farmer, processors, and sugar caners who help make ice cream. Maps and climate conditions provide agriculture and geography facts, while the waste-saving measures of the peanut farmer, who saves roasted peanut skins to feed pigs and peanut hearts to feed birds, reveal environmental savvy. Context clues help with text vocabulary; wheat goes "dormant" in cold months, "sort of like taking a nap." Scientific processes and math figures are integrated for an interdisciplinary approach. Some social commentary informs students about Fair Trade practices in other countries. VERDICT A clever triple-dip into agriculture concepts, career awareness, and ELA sequencing skills for younger elementary students.