Apples, Cherries, Red Raspberries: What Is in the Fruits Group? (Food Is CATegorical) - Tapa blanda

"With highly readable bits and pieces about which yummy foods have which nutrients and vitamins, these books in the Food Is CATegorical series are just right for sharing with young kids, introducing the value of healthy foods and exercise through silly rhymes, puns, and zany color cartoons of cats in wild action. The scenarios in Apples, Cherries, Red Raspberries range from cat characters picking apples in an orchard to a big cat that triumphs in a boxing ring after eating 'cool' bananas ('Whether on cereal / or with your lunch, / this fruit's / sure to pack / a potassium punch!'). Green Beans, Potatoes, and Even Tomatoes shows that, though often a side dish, the veg is key: 'It's a great source of vitamins A, C, and E.' Sweet potatoes, carrots, and more are portrayed as both wholesome and tasty, and green is cool, too, especially when spinach helps a cat show off its skateboarding skills. Then there is what vitamins do: 'Vitamin A helps our eyes and our skin.' Both books play with words: fruits are 'peachy'; potatoes have eyes; corn grows in ears; cabbage and lettuce are sold in heads. The back matter, featuring the food pyramid and a guide to recommended daily quantities, is part of the fun." --Booklist

"A multi-hued crew of cartoon cats presents the various food groups and the practices of a healthy lifestyle. Each book reports which foods are in the titled group and provides simple explanations of how they affect the body. Cleary's consistent reminders to children to help the adults in their lives eat better are helpful, too. The books also provide servings guides, recommended intake levels, and a 'MyPyramid' chart. Overall, the scientific material in these books is slim, and their attempts to be informative are overshadowed by their simplicity. Also, like the titles, the narratives are written in goofy verse. The meter is often uneven and the rhymes forced." --School Library Journal, Series Made Simple