Go, Go, Grapes! by April Pulley Sayre

Go, Go, Grapes!: A Fruit Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Rating: 5 stars

The other night the kids and I spent the night at Grammy's house in Winchester; the next morning after a not-so-good-night's-sleep (but who remembers the nights when they get enough sleep?!) we drove to the charming old town of Winchester to a cute little independent book store called Winchester Book Gallery.  Grammy had been there once before, loved it, but thought that there wasn't a children's section.  A quick review of the store on Yelp revealed she was wrong!  (It was the first time in her whole life, I'm sure.)  Not only was there a children's section, but it was in a LOFT that overlooked the rest of the store!  We had to check it out.

Kiefer looks down from the lofty children's section.

It was awesome!  Always a fan of quirky book stores, I am a fan of this one.  And glad that I'll be going back frequently when we visit Grammy (and GrandBill, too).  Plus the local mega-chain bookstore in our area just closed, so the kids and I are blown away by all the new books that have come out since the last time we were in a bookstore.  So...I was a pushover when Lorelei asked if she and Ben and Kiefer could each choose a new book.  YES!

Anyway, they each made solid selections (I MIGHT have chosen Kiefer's for him and you MIGHT be reading about it sometime soon), and though I tried to get Lorelei to choose Go, Go, Grapes!: A Fruit Chant, she chose a girly tea-party-themed book.  Sigh.

I was super excited to see the sequel to Rah Rah Radishes, a book we've checked out a dozen times and recommended to dozens of friends.  (That'd be all of them.)   The illustrations are huge, bright, inviting photographs sure to inspire a few "What sort of fruit is that?!"  Like Rah Rah Radishes, this book is a fun, rhyming chant full of familiar and exotic fruits that is sure to get your kids to try at least one new fruit.  Here's a little example:

Canteloupe. Watermelon.  Mind that rind!
Figs are fabulous.  Currants call.
Mango.  Mangosteen.
Chomp, chomp, chomp!
Grapefruit.  Dragon fruit.
What a find!
Glum?  Go plum!
Or apricot!
Try a papaya.
Rambutan--romp!

(Please leave a comment if you've tried a mangosteen or rambutan, two super yummy fruits that I ate way too much of in Thailand when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer.  And if you know the Thai word for rambutan...I will find them and we'll split a bag of 'em!)

Anyway, fruity Thai memories aside, this is a fun food book that you should check out tomorrow!

Rah Rah Radishes! A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Rah Rah Radishes! A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Rating: 5 get-your-veggies stars!

If there is something else I'd have a blog about, it'd be kids and food.  Or maybe health in general--I'm a big fitness junkie, a marathon runner, and sometimes annoyingly healthy eater.  I want my kids to BE healthy--eat healthy and love to get out and move their body.  I want it to be second nature to them.  I am smart enough to realize how difficult it is to change bad habits in adulthood, so...I want them to get a good start.

I admit I'm sort of a meanie with food.  They eat a lot of vegetables, often two different kids of vegetables at lunch and dinner, and I'm constantly trying to get them to eat new things.  I went on a beet kick last year and made plain old broiled beets, beet soup, and even beet pancakes (recipe here)!  Um, I sorta love beets.  Anyway, we all eat bell peppers like most eat apples.  One of Ben's favorite foods ever is kale chips (recipe here).  Tomatoes from our garden never make it inside.  Ben has chosen a cucumber over bread.  Tonight after dinner Lorelei said, "I have a taste for carrots and almonds." Your wish is my command, little girl!

Kiefer likes beets, too!

So when I saw this book at the library, I grabbed it.  I'm trying really hard not to buy it, but I LOVE IT!  My kids love it.  It is SO fun to read, so great to talk about, so full of big photographs that invite questions and answers and...conversation.  My kids often accompany me to the grocery store, but c'mon, who's not in a rush with three little kids at the grocery store?  This is a book that should be on all of our shelves.

Here are some of my favorite lines:
"Oh boy, bok choy!"
"Bounce for beets!"
"Grab that garlic, please your palate!"
"Veggies rock!"

Seriously, though, I was shocked to learn, while watching the HBO series Weight of the Nation, that a huge portion of kids, especially low income and inner city, often go without any fresh fruit or vegetables.  For days.  Weeks.  Months.  They know what an apple is, and often a banana.  But kohlrabi?  Brussels?  Spinach?  I am dismayed and disheartened and definitely feel compelled to do something.  Just trying to figure out what...  Feel free to throw suggestions my way if you've got any bright ideas.