Eat Up!: An Infographic Exploration of Food (A Visual Exploration) - Softcover

Between them, Antonia Banyard and Paula Ayer have written four previous books for young readers, including Water Wow! An Infographic Exploration.

Belle Wuthrich is the illustrator and designer for Water Wow!

Gr 4–7—This title is as bright, colorful, and chock-full of statistics as any quality infographic, but instead of a single image or poster, this is 72 pages of food-related facts that aim to help kids become more food-literate—a worthy goal, since in the introduction, readers find out that eight out of 10 schoolchildren in the United States and the UK don't know that broccoli is a vegetable and one in three thinks pasta is made from meat. The book is divided into seven chapters that focus on the history of humans and farming, modern-day agriculture, food marketing and advertising, nutrition, the environment, meals around the world, and even school lunch. Each chapter consists of a few spreads about a specific topic, such as "FrankenFood or SuperSolution?" and "Global Gastronomy." Filled with numerous visuals, the spreads are generally well laid out and are not too overwhelming. With a few exceptions, the facts and figures are clearly presented, often through accessible visuals (drawings of fruits and vegetables, piles of money, national flags). Numbers are listed in metric and U.S. units, and statistics often compare the United States and Canada with other parts of the world. The text lucidly explains different angles of many food-related environmental and social issues and urges kids to get involved—the conclusion suggests actions such as looking on food labels for information about sustainability and contacting fast food chains on social media to advocate for healthier options. VERDICT Inviting illustrations and an empowering amount of food-related data make this selection a fine choice for environmentally conscious tweens.—Jenny Berggren, Longfellow Middle School, Berkeley, CA