 |
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books |
| The Bulletin Dozen is a monthly theme-based list of titles available only on-line.
Since we're awfully fond of bakers here at the Bulletin, we thought we'd adopt
their philosophy of generosity and throw in an extra one or two when we have them to
offer--so don't expect an even dozen. Please feel free to copy, download, or link to these
lists. We ask only that you cite the source. See the archive for lists from previous months.
Bring on the Grub! A Banquet of Nonfiction Books about Food and Eating At this time of year, many of us gather with friends and family to
celebrate feast- and food-related holidays, from Thanksgiving to Christmas
to Kwanzaa. We at the Bulletin are all in favor of feasting; our staff is
forever celebrating birthdays and holidays (and perfectly ordinary days)
with liberal amounts of cake and cookies. We believe that books and food
go together like peanut butter and jelly (I, for example, cannot read
anything by Laura Ingalls Wilder without a snack close at hand). This
month, we're serving up a dozen nonfiction titles sure to please even
picky eaters-uh, readers. Pass over those pilgrim books this November and
instead try featuring some of the following tasty titles (along with your
collection's cookbooks) in a display, or use them to cook up a few
palatable programs. Bon appétit! |
Altman offers a behind-the-scenes look (illustrated with black-and-white photos) at feeding time at the zoo, covering such topics as the processes by which zookeepers feed dangerous animals, the diets of wild animals versus those of captive animals, and the many considerations in feeding zoo babies. (BCCB 2/01)
Softened rainbow hues (accented with plenty of peanut-butter-brown), a generous helping of kids' own comments about the use and history of PB, and a smorgasbord of suggestions for peanut buttery activities and treats make this tile as kid-friendly as its sandwich-spread subject. (BCCB 7/99)
Ever wondered how lickable wallpaper (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) would taste? Or if drinking frobscottle (The BFG) would really cause you to make whizzpoppers? Try the recipes in this cookbook (based on the inventive foods from Dahl's books and illustrated with food photographs and Quentin Blake's art) and find out for yourself. (BCCB 3/95)
What better way to end a history unit than with a period-related feast? These two useful titles provide ample portions of background information on agriculture, dining differences between country and city dwellers, and food for travelers along with sample recipes and menus, period art, and photographs of related artifacts. (both BCCB 10/94)
In this introduction to food and food classification, engaging color photos of kids with food are accompanied by riddle-like questions ("What food looks like a miniature cabbage?"), then followed by related black-and-white photos and informational paragraphs about the food in question. (BCCB 5/94)
The title pretty much says it all: Johnson uses a food-by-food approach as she explores how foods like peanuts, corn, and chocolate initially made their way from the Western to the Eastern hemisphere (and sometimes back again) and how they have shaped eating habits on an international level. (BCCB 7/97)
Eating methods and manners get an entertaining treatment here as Lauber presents a lively historical and geographical look at their development, while Manders' art (in a style reminiscent of "Mad Magazine") humorously illustrates Lauber's points. For older readers, try the similarly-themed From Hand to Mouth (BCCB 12/87) by James Cross Giblin. (BCCB 12/99)
In each of these volumes, Penner stirs up a delectable mixture of history and cookery, as she includes a historical look at eating habits, table manners, and living conditions of American colonists and Native Americans, seasoned with plenty of recipes--like Spicy Cucumber Catsup (Eating the Plates) and Popped Wild Rice (Native American Feast)-and period prints.
A multicultural cast of kids introduces and explains a variety of nutritional terms and concepts, from the basics of digestion to the different kinds of nutrients needed to stay healthy. A brief selection of tempting recipes is included for youngsters who want to try their own hands at creating a well-balanced meal. (BCCB 2/99)
From a sauce made of fish that have digested themselves with their own stomach fluids to frankfurters full of assorted animal parts, Solheim gleefully presents food-related gross-out trivia with cultural and historical perspectives. Illustrator Eric Brace's pop-eyed little humans and critters joke their way through the pages, commenting on the info and introducing silly poems. (BCCB 4/98)
In this appetizing anthology (perfect from primary-grade readers), Westcott serves up four courses of palate-pleasing poetry: eating silly things, eating foods we like, eating too much, and manners at the table. Her line-and-watercolor illustrations (in fruity, tropical shades) are icing on the cake. (BCCB 6/94)
Whitman covers changes that have occurred over time in American cooking and eating, from the food habits of early settlers and the Native Americans they met to the advent of the supermarket to the Golden Arches and "frankenfoods" of modern times. (BCCB 7/01)
[Back to the Bulletin Homepage]
This page was last updated on November 1, 2001.