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If You Like...Vegetables

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People in general seem to be divided into two groups, people who love vegetables and those who tolerate (or just won't tolerate!) them. Whichever camp you fall into, I think you'll love these picture books about vegetables!
There's No Such Thing As Vegetables
Written by Kyle Lukoff
Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2024. Picture Book.

In this hilarious tale, Chester is sent to the community garden to get some vegetables to make a salad for lunch, only to be told by the garden's residents that none of them are actually vegetables. Whether the plants are roots, fruit, leaves, or flowers, what they can all agree on is that they are NOT vegetables. When Chester questions why people call them vegetables, they explain that humans have created classification systems that group them all together. In the end, Chester decides that since he can't find any vegetables in the garden, he and his mom might be better off with sandwiches for lunch. This clever book is great for talking with your kids about different types of vegetables, or how humans classify things in general.

No Nibbling
Written by Beth Ferry
Illustrated by A.N. Kang
New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2022. Picture Book.

Farmer Derwood takes careful care of his garden, so when he sees a dandelion he tries to pluck it, not realizing that the dandelion is actually the fuzzy tail of Tabitha the bunny. The farmer tries to confuse the bunny by saying that he's not actually planting a garden, he's performing experiments in the dirt. Tabitha eventually returns and Farmer Derwood makes sure that she knows the cardinal rule: "No nibbling!" Eventually they become friends as Tabitha helps the farmer weed the garden, and at the end of the season she gets her wish, a delicious vegetable dinner. Come for the adorable critters, stay for the amazing vegetable puns.

My Delicious Garden
Written by Anne-Marie Fortin
Illustrated by Julien Castanié
Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2022. Picture Book.

In this book, a young gardener tends to her garden throughout the course of a year. Month by month as she explains each new task, whether it's planning, planting, weeding, or harvesting, kids will learn the work that goes into creating the garden of their dreams. This book is the perfect choice for a January read about vegetables! 

The Runaway Pea
Written by Kjartan Poskitt
Illustrated by Alex Willmore
New York: Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2021. Picture Book.

In this hilarious tale, a pea flings itself off its plate and onto a great adventure. When a pea decides it isn't ready to be eaten, he jumps off the plate, straight into a dripping of sauce before ending up in a dog bowl and aquarium, narrowly missing a mouse trap and spider web along the way. He eventually ends up under the fridge with the rest of the forgotten food. Anyone who has had trouble getting a pea to stick to their fork will enjoy this fun adventure!

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