Gr 1–3— Kids rarely know where their food grows or how it is prepared for them before it hits their table. This book shows the intricate path of the food delivery system that brings the goods to their kitchens. The story is written in a rhythmic way and highlights some new and interesting vocabulary. The illustrator uses a colorful palette to represent the richness of green vegetables, bright red of strawberries, sunny yellow of lemons, blue of berries, clay-colored earth, and all the natural colors in between. The story is informative and fun, and the back matter is sizable, with plentiful resources for further research or guided study. Books that eloquently address the genesis of everyday things are few and far between. Harriet Ziefert's A New Coat for Anna details all the steps Anna's mother takes to construct a coat. Marguerita Rudolph's How a Shirt Grew in the Field also comes to mind. Young readers will be intrigued by Gianferrari's offering. VERDICT An excellent book for elementary readers that will surprise them as they turn each page, and a must for the nonfiction shelves.— Joan Kindig

From produce and bread to clothing and sweets, the favorite items that farmers bring to tables and homes.Spot art of diverse families eating table-ready foods are combined with large-scale scenes of farms with people, machinery, and animals producing foods like wheat to make bread, milk for cereal, and fruits and vegetables-an effective juxtaposition of the consumers and producers of ingredients and products people use daily. Peanut butter, rice, wool sweaters and socks, and maple syrup are all items for which readers are encouraged to "thank a farmer." Farmers, in turn, are thankful for the natural forces and creatures that make their farms work, from soil and sun to bees and trees. The text alternates between a simple sentence indicating an item to thank a farmer for ("berries and / cherries in your bowl") and a lyrical description of the work that goes into that particular item ("Pinch. / Pluck. / Pull. / Fill the punnet"). Mikai's warm, textured art is at its strongest here, complementing the more leisurely text with fully detailed scenes that give a strong sense of the realities of labor and the interconnectedness of people at different points in the food production chain. A full spread of backmatter offers more information about the farming methods featured in the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A valuable look at the roles farmers play in sustaining the lifestyles people enjoy. (further reading, further viewing, websites) (Informational picture book. 4-9)

Rooted in gratitude, this educational title explains in simple yet comprehensive terms how animal products and foods move from farm to table. Narrating in free verse, Gianferrari succinctly compresses complex farming, production, and supply chain processes into easy-to-follow lines, inviting readers to learn about the origins of bread, cereal with milk, salad and veggies, and other favorites. For each food highlighted (“If you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches”), simple lines detail their journey to the table (“Peanut pods/ Grow underground./ Diggers pull up plants,/ Shake off soil”), ending in a sensory descriptive phrase (“Creamy and crunchy”). Mikai’s textural illustrations feature a Black family enjoying farmed products, flanked by lush fields, orchards, and harvests, and variously diverse depictions of the many individuals whose labors lead to every mouthful. Endnotes offer more about various farming methods. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)