There's broccoli in my ice cream by Emily MacKenzie
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408873304
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Vegetables, Food, Gardening. Granville
loves sweet sugary foods, things that are gooey and creamy and full
of syrup, cakes and ice cream and donuts and jellies. The more the
merrier. But he comes from a long line of gardeners, people who win
awards for their produce. They have won cups for their cauliflower
and cabbage, their carrots and pumpkins, so Granville is an
embarrassment. The family decides to work out a plan to change his
mind about their produce.
Grandpa Reggie has a retail outlet called Reggie's Veggies for
people to buy his crops. He has won many awards, and is especially
proud of one of his awards, The Magnificent Magic Watering Can. With
this he hopes to get Granville to change his mind about fruit and
vegetables and asks him to help in his garden. Granville is excited
to help Reggie and after they have planted and watered his new
seeds, Granville then plants some of his beloved sweet things,
watering them with the special watering can. Sure enough up comes an
array of sweet things. The family is very disappointed but Grandpa
makes a bargain with Granville, that he will try the sweet crop if
Granville tries the vegetables.
Everything comes to a good ending, of course, and parents and
teachers alike will be able to use this book to encourage healthy
eating with a smile. The funny illustrations will endear the tale to
the readers as they take in the message underlying the story.
Fran Knight