My Favorite Foods

September 1, 2001
K-Gr 1-This counting book for newly independent readers features a girl and her mother grocery shopping. They fill their cart with "One scoop of juicy raisins. Two heads of leafy lettuce. Three jars of sticky jelly.-Ten jugs of tangy juice." The surprise conclusion to this seemingly random gathering of groceries: "We had a super birthday party with all of my favorite foods!" As in Lin's The Ugly Vegetables (Charlesbridge, 2001), the attractive, boldly colored, gouache cartoon illustrations depict a daughter and mother, joined at the end by the girl's friends. Rau's adjectives describe the foods as eaten, but not as packaged, which makes illustration a challenge in this grocery setting. For example, the "juicy raisins" don't glisten or drip juice; purple jelly in jars is not yet "sticky"; and pink cartons of ice cream from the freezer don't appear to be "chilly." With neither cake nor candles at the table, this is one party beginning readers won't mind missing.-Laura Scott, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.