Eating the Alphabet

My little guy loves this book!! We eat lots of fruits and vegetables as a family, so it was so nice to find a book with so many of them- even a few really unusual ones I've never eaten: gooseberry, huckleberry, kohlrabi, quince, and vegetable marrow, for instance. The illustrations are bright and colorful, but still true to what the food actually looks like. Some of the letters have more space devoted to them. "P" has two, two page spreads. Most of the letters have one to two pages, though. There isn't a storyline here, but with so many fun colors and shapes, there is plenty to look at and enjoy as you flip through the pages. We have fun saying the letter names on each page as we read through the book, and also making the letter sounds, and then talking about which vegetables have that sound at the beginning of their name. That doesn't work when it comes to "J", though. The foods there are "Jalapeno" and "Jicama"..."h" sounds. All in all, a very satisfying book for my little one. He liked it at 3 months, and still loves it at 9 months.

This publication facilitates children's learning of the alphabet through the use of fruits and vegetables. It is ideally suited for use by educational professionals and guardians.

My children love this colorful book, Eating the Alphabet, by Lois Ehlert. This book helps to educate children about the different fruits and vegetables for every letter of the alphabet. It has inspired my children to want to try new fruits and vegetables that they've never had before. We have also been able to identify fruits and vegetables in the produce section at the grocery store that we might have once overlooked. One of my daughters actually requested Brussels sprouts after reading this book for the first time. We made them, and while she didn't love them the first time she had them, she was proud to say that she tried them. After having eaten them many times now, she likes them, and I have to say we probably never would have tried Brussels sprouts in the first place if it wasn't for this book! We love the artwork of Lois Ehlert and the bright, bold colors she uses. She makes everything look appetizing and as a result will encourage children I'm sure to try more fruits and vegetables!

Lois Ehlert has a very unusual illustration style that isn't highly detailed or realistic. I love it, and my kids love it, but if you are looking for a book that helps young children identify produce, you might be surprised by the illustration style. I have no problem with a fanciful and even ethereal drawing for young kids - I think they can enjoy the beautiful colors on their own merit. I will agree with others that this book would be better suited as a large book, not a small board book, because the pages are very cluttered and a tad overwhelming. But my kids love it all the same, AND they can identify real produce in the store based on the illustrations in the book. They even can identify the unusual ones, like starfruit, and ones with complex names, like xigua and vegetable marrow. Don't underestimate kids! My kids are almost 3 and 4.5, and they love ABC books and other Lois Ehlert books, so this holds their interest. I think most kids would sit and listen to an adult read each word closer to age 5 or 6. If I had a 1-3 year old, I would just give them the book to look through. The colors and shapes are enough at that age. A 3-4 year old could point to ones and ask, "What's that?" Or have fun identifying favorite foods in the book. But perhaps don't try reading it front to back until the child expresses clear interest.

Great board book for a toddler.

Lois Ehlert is one of my favorite children's authors and this book is brilliantly illustrated. The colors are bright and bold on the larger than life fruits and vegetables that are illustrated in this book. There are dates, endive, figs, jicama, leek, okra, parsnip, radicchio, Swiss chard, and ugli fruit amongst this wonderful alphabet of edible delights, with a glossary at the end that gives a brief description, as well as, pronounciation of each fruit and vegetable listed. This is a charming alphabet book for young children and a delightful read, especially if you home garden or visit farm stands.

I would give this book six stars if I could. We did baby-led weaning, and my child (22 months old) loves all fruits and vegetables. He also loves books, so a book about food was a huge hit. He loves flipping through the pages and naming all the foods. We also use the book whenever we introduce a new food. The only downside is that a few foods are missing. You won’t find mushrooms or squash or dragonfruit. But otherwise the book has a great variety.

Perfect book for young kids! Love the thick pages.

I absolutely LOVE this book and I now purchase it for every baby shower I go to. I'm very passionate about helping kids have a healthy relationship with food and this book is a great way to introduce kids to the rainbow of fruits and vegetables out there. My son has read it so many times that he knows each and every one! We love to go through and spot the veggies he has eaten that day. The beautiful illustrations are a bonus :)

sweet book with all kinds of veggies and fruits! I actually did not know all of them! Recommendation for I would say ages 1-10

Excellent pour familiariser les jeunes enfants avec la langue anglaise et même les adultes nuls. Petit ouvrage joliment présenté. A recommander.

実は子供が未だお腹の中に入ってるときに初めて買った絵本です。 はらぺこあおむし と同様、いろんなサイズで出ています。 私が購入したのはハンディなタイプですが、イラストが綺麗なので大判を購入したほうがよかったかなあと 少し悔やまれましたが、電車などに持ち込んでむずかる子供をあやすのにちょうど良い感じです。 今娘はすでに4歳になりましたが、英語なので絵を指差しながら、apple〜！とか叫んでいます。 それなりに息の長い絵本として大活躍です。 アーティチョークとか日本ではなじみのない野菜も混ざっていますが、 ご飯の時に、レタスーとか見せながら食育もまぜて楽しむにもよさそうなので今度チャレンジしてみようと思います。

Lovely pictures with a few unknown fruit and vegetables.