Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "Babies cry when they're hungry..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rockwell (illustrator of My Spring Robin; On Show and Tell Day) serves up a simple but often bland introduction to nutrition. Watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations offer close-up views of a variety of foods and introduce a cast of smiling, wide-eyed kids whose comments (presented in balloons) supplement the facts in the text. The compositions are cheerful and sometimes playful, as when a boy dressed in a skeleton costume delivers a message about the value of calcium in building and "repairing" bones. The palette, unfortunately, is muted or shadowy, so that the pictured foods never look very appetizing. The author discusses such basics as the importance of eating a balanced diet, the process of digestion, sources of various vitamins and minerals, etc. She concludes with a handful of nutritious, carefully written, kid-friendly recipes. The only other hands-on aspect of the volume is a vaguely outlined experiment "to find out where fat is hiding," which entails rubbing foods (no specific varieties are suggested) on a piece of paper and examining it for grease stains the following day. Given the book's targeted audience, Rockwell has perhaps gone too far in streamlining her information; those above the beginning-reader level may well find the tone of both the art and the text (with the exception of the recipes) somewhat babyish. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-This picture book about healthy eating begins at the beginning: food is necessary for one's well-being and it tastes good, too. Six categories of nutrients are introduced: carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals. Digestion is described, as is the Food Guide Pyramid. Five recipes are given at the end. The large, square format invites readers in, beginning with a bright watercolor scene of a hungry family: the dog is howling, the baby is crying in her high chair, the cranky boy is bringing in the bread, and the mother and father are doing what they can to get everyone fed. This double-page spread says much more than the four lines of descriptive text. Every bit of information is illustrated with a large or small picture, sometimes accompanied by labels or dialogue balloons. Pictures of healthy food are everywhere, prepared by and eaten with great enjoyment by a variety of people. There's an amazing amount of information packed into this inviting, clear, and valuable book.
Carolyn Jenks, First Parish Unitarian Church, Portland, ME
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (January 20, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060274344
• ISBN-13: 978-0060274344
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #282,607 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb introduction to healthy eating for preschoolers, February 14, 2003

By	Echo "Echo" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

I checked this book out of the library for my five-year old, and she loved it. She got really excited about this book and seemed to love how the pictures illustrated the text. There was this one particular set of pictures that referred to PROTEIN. The first picture showed a girl on the farm doing chores and talking about how protein helps you be stronger. In the background, there were the meat sources of protein: a cow, a lamb, a chicken, etc. On the next page, a couple of kids were next to a beanstalk, talking about other sources of protein--like beans. The pictures were very colorful and eye-pleasing and I loved how the author used word bubbles from the kids in the book to explain--in simple language and with everyday examples, what each nutritional component does for the body. She let the characters teach. In one part of the book, they put on costumes to show which vitamins do what! This book made it really easy for me to discuss the importance of eating right to my child, and--after six months--she still remembers things like, "eggs have protein in them and protein makes you strong!" [her words] There are simple recipes in the back, which we didn't test, but I look forward to trying them out once we get the book again. The only things about this book I didn't like was the lack of scientific activities, but I'm looking into other titles to supplement (like, Janice VanCleave), and a lack of "discussion starters". Otherwise, I think this book is a wonderful way to start your own discussions on healthy eating. One of the great things about smaller children is their need for repetition, so I'll get the chance to come up with a new discussion every time we read this book.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful presentation enlightens children about nutrition, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

This is an excellent reference book on nutrition for parentsand their children with accurate, well presented information.Children can begin to appreciate the importance of nutrition and the role it plays in maintaining their bodily function and performance.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars recommended, July 29, 2006

By	L. Markovitz - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is very easy to understand for kids and helpful if you want them to understand why you want them to eat certain foods, it explains food groups, carbs, protein, etc on a level they can understand. I got very into nutrition and wanted a way for my 6 year old to understand it too.