Showdown At The Food Pyramid [Hardcover]

Rex Barron (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

There's trouble afoot at the Food Pyramid: Strange new junk food like "candy bar" and "hot dog" are kicking off all the healthy food to have their own party. Even poor Granny Smith apple gets the boot! As the fruits and vegetables try to regroup, the junk keeps the party going. But no pyramid can support all that junk for long-when it comes time to rebuild, will the healthy foods be able to find the right balance?

With different diets receiving so much attention in recent years, nutrition can be a confusing topic for young readers, so Rex Barron uses a simple story and animated edibles to present an easy introduction to the basic concepts of healthy eating as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–In this dynamic picture book, personified foods fight a battle over good nutrition. Following the wisdom of the Great Food Guide tacked on the wall, the various edibles that form the pyramid have always tried to remain in balance. Then, dangerous interlopers overrun them and take over the top level ("They had strange names like Hot Dog, Candy Bar and Donut, and they liked to cause trouble"). The healthy foods almost give up trying to make things right again, but the problem is resolved when the pyramid is destroyed by its own excess; with all of that fattening stuff on top, it collapses "under its own weight." The foods then rebuild the structure, a process shown in a literal and amusing way, with sturdy starches supporting bright fruits and vegetables, and finally, way up on top, a few sweets and fats, which are allowed to return. The message is up front, but the humorous tone keeps the story from becoming overwhelmingly didactic. The pictures are great, with vivid colors and lots of drama and personality. Barron's light touch and child-friendly approach make this offering more enjoyable than most of the books available on nutrition.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (June 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399237151
• ISBN-13: 978-0399237157
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars out of date info, April 2, 2007

By 

Laura A. Shears "lsquaredmath" (MI) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Showdown At The Food Pyramid (Hardcover)

Decent book, but information is a bit out of date. Beans got classified with nuts as something to only have a small amount of because of high fat content. Since when are beans high fat?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read for kindergarteners!, April 19, 2009

By 

S. Winkler "Kteacher" (Houston, TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Showdown At The Food Pyramid (Hardcover)

One of my favorite books! Always gives me a chuckle! I use it in my Kindergarten class when we discuss the food pyramid. It's a cute read and is an attention grabber with food names like "King Candy Bar" and "Carolina Cucumber." Great, vibrant pictures for kids to see.

BTW, the book is a little dated due to the government tweaking the food pyramid in 2006. The book uses the old horizontal model and the newest pyramid has vertical divisions. But I would still definitely recommend the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's OK., April 16, 2007

By 

Spudman (Pasadena, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Showdown At The Food Pyramid (Hardcover)

Like the previous reviewer said, this book is simplistic and somewhat out of date. I'd like to see the potatoes have a more prominent role in the story instead of as strong, but silent bystanders. The graphics are very good, at least.