Imperfect garden
(Book)

Here's a book that's clever, sweet, and provides some very useful information that few people think about. Jay and his mother have a vegetable garden, and Jay's excited that this year he gets to help pick the bounty. Each month, there's something new carrots, cucumbers, and apples and it's nice to watch this mother and son work together both gardening and fixing a dish from their harvest. But the interesting part comes with the book's message that the fruit and veggies that come out of the ground don't often resemble the produce in grocery stores. Jay finds a crooked cucumber that looks like a J, a carrot with two ""legs,"" and apples full of bumps. The message stated throughout, in helpful ways, is that produce is not affected by its looks, and a way to reduce food waste is by using it, even with a few bumps or bruises. The sprightly pen-and-watercolor drawings capture the fun and work of having a garden in changing seasons, and an author's note gives more ideas.--Ilene Cooper Copyright 2019 Booklist

A mother and child harvest fruits and veggiessome of them in funny shapesfrom their backyard garden.Jay narrates this spring-to-fall overview as the two sow, water, and pick their crops. Their cucumbers grow "in all kinds of twirly-whirly shapes!" When Jay wonders why supermarket cukes are so comparatively straight, Mom explains that nonconforming produce is discarded. Mom and Jay dig carrots, including a "two-legged" one. Jay takes bites of two-legged and ordinary carrots, pronouncing both "crunchy and delicious." The pair harvests applessome smooth, some bumpy. Including bumpy fruit yields an extra pie for their neighbor. Returning to the supermarket in October, Jay surveys the uniform produce displays, asking the grocer, "Don't you have any twirly-whirly, lumpy, bumpy fruits and vegetables?" They're led to an array of reduced-price, less-than-perfect producethree-legged carrots and more. Assaly's narrative drives home the point: Fresh produce needn't be cosmetically perfect to be nourishing and tasty. Her concluding note attests that vast amounts of usable produce are trashed while many people live food-insecure. Filipinx Canadian illustrator dela Noche Milne depicts Jay and Mom with light brown skin and dark hair. Interiors and townscapes brim with charming detail.A diverse family conveys a noteworthy message about food waste and the value of home gardening. (author's note, gardening tips) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Here's a book that's clever, sweet, and provides some very useful information that few people think about. Jay and his mother have a vegetable garden, and Jay's excited that this year he gets to help pick the bounty. Each month, there's something new—carrots, cucumbers, and apples—and it's nice to watch this mother and son work together both gardening and fixing a dish from their harvest. But the interesting part comes with the book's message that the fruit and veggies that come out of the ground don't often resemble the produce in grocery stores. Jay finds a crooked cucumber that looks like a J, a carrot with two legs, and apples full of bumps. The message stated throughout, in helpful ways, is that produce is not affected by its looks, and a way to reduce food waste is by using it, even with a few bumps or bruises. The sprightly pen-and-watercolor drawings capture the fun and work of having a garden in changing seasons, and an author's note gives more ideas. Preschool-Grade 1. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.