How are you peeling?: Foods with moods [Paperback]

Saxton Freymann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2000

This book is not only a conversation starter, it's a conversation in itself - a sequence of remarkably expressive foodstuffs, paired with sensitive questions that draw even the shyest little melons from their shells. Should make a suitable gift for any insecure onion!

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who hasn't looked at a fruit or vegetable and seen a funny face? In How Are You Peeling?--by the creator of the whimsical Play with Your Food--the "natural personalities" of produce are enhanced with black-eyed pea eyes and the occasional carved mouth--then photographed in vivid colors. One page reveals a wistful-looking poblano pepper being comforted by a cheerful red tomato, while another shows the amused, confused, frustrated, and surprised expressions of a green pepper, red pepper, orange, and apple. Adults and children alike will marvel at the range of expressions these fruits and vegetables possess--did you know just how many faces a kiwi could have? With simple rhymed text describing the emotions ("How are you when friends drop by?/ With someone new... a little shy?"), this appealing picture book is bound to spark discussion with young children. Parents can use it to talk about different emotions or to help children to identify and articulate their mood of the moment. Adults will just plain be amused. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by Play with Your Food, LLC. Used by permission of Scholastic Inc.) (Ages 2 to 6) --Richard Farr --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Photos of scowling oranges and gregarious scallions garnish this garden of delights from the creators of Play with Your Food. The recipe is simple and successful. Freymann and Elffers find a piece of "expressive produce" and attach two black-eyed peas for eyes. Without further ado, the veggie becomes a face, with a knobby stem or skinny root for a schnozzola; an upended mushroom has a hilarious piglike snout, while a kiwi fruit has a button nose. The animated groceries are exhibited, actual size or larger, against crisp hues of harvest gold, melon green or late-night-sky blue. Their groupings imply close relationships: lemons trade meaningful glances and a little onion cries. Meanwhile, the rhyming text draws comparisons between the emotive plants and its audience when it queries, "Wired? Tired? Need a kiss?/ Do you know anyone like this?" The plotless and largely superfluous narrative recommends expressing jealousy or affection ("When how you feel is understood,/ you have a friend, and that feels good"). It's a sentiment as healthy as an apple a day, but the book's real charm is derived from the almost-ready-made "sculptures"Aas an afterword calls them. This wish-I'd-thought-of-that compendium provides an excellent impetus for a craft session: the ingredients are cheap, and mistakes can be eaten as salad (if artists have the heart). All ages. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc; 1st paperback ed edition (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439216966
• ISBN-13: 978-0439216968
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,224,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Negative emotions are okay for children to feel, July 19, 2000

By 

Kelly Hawkins "plantfood" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Are You Peeling? (Hardcover)

As the parent of an emotionally disturbed foster daughter, I know first hand how necessary it is for young children to understand their emotions, whether positive or negative, and find appropriate outlets to express those emotions.

This beautiful book is a wonderful way to expose young children to the concept of emotions, and to help a youngster know there is a difference between "sad" and "tired" and "lonely". While the book does not always explain what those emotions mean, it presents the emotions with appropriate expressions that children themselves have held on their own faces. Tracing the down-turned "lips" of a vegetable, my daughter will say, "she's sad like I am sometimes". Then we talk about ways to express sadness/anger/frustration or whatever emotion the vegetable/fruit appears to be exhibiting. In this way, I think the book is a useful therapeutic tool for troubled children.

It's great for "normal" kids, too. The book is fun, and full of life with bright, vibrant colors that make you want to smile. In addition, there is produce in here that most kids have never heard of, let alone seen. I believe that a picky child will be more willing to try a "new" food that she has at least heard of before and seen a picture of, than if she had never heard of them. That has to be a healthy thing!

And lastly, this book isn't just for kids. I think it's a beautiful art book for people of all ages. I enjoy looking at the photos and trying to imagine how the item grew in just that way. Freyman is clever and artistic, and this book is as good as the previous ones.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating, absolutely beautiful book!, November 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How Are You Peeling? (Hardcover)

From the moment I opened this book I was in love. It is amazing how the artists transform ordinary fruits and vegetables into loveable and wildly different characters. The text is simple for a child to understand, and wonderfully written. If you're looking for a way to talk with your children about emotions, look no further. I read this book to my daughters preschool class and we loved it! I never thought a book could make me want to give an affectionate hug to a green pepper, but this one does! Buy it for every child you know. Heck, buy it for every adult you know too!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Library cant keep it on the Shelves!, June 7, 2000

By 

Ted Ficklen (Saint Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Are You Peeling? (Hardcover)

This is a really neat book, especially for early readers, or for pre-readers. Babies and kids love the The range of expression here out of a handful of vegetables is incredible. Its like seeing Jim Henson's Muppets for the first time. I'm going to have to buy one of these for myself--since I first checked it out of the Library last year, it has really become popular and now I have a hard time finding it! This is a simple idea beautifully rendered.