Sylvia's Spinach

by Katherine Pryor, Anna Raff (Illustrator)

Overview

A PICKY EATER DISCOVERS THE JOY OF GROWING FOOD AND THE PLEASURE OF TASTING SOMETHING NEW.
Sylvia Spivens always says no to spinach. But one day Sylvia's teacher gives her a packet of spinach seeds to plant for the school garden. Overcoming her initial reluctance and giving the seeds a little love and patience, Sylvia discovers the joy of growing food and the pleasure of tasting something new.

Parents will identify with the challenge of feeding healthy food to a picky eater during family dinner. Educators will understand the magic and rewards of school gardens. Best of all, young readers will celebrate Sylvia's strong will, curiosity, and, maybe, her love of spinach.

Katherine Pryor made her picture book debut with Sylvia's Spinach, which has been widely used for nutrition education and school garden curriculum. Anna Raff's many children's books include "World Rat Day" by Children s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis. Katherine and Anna teamed up for their second book together, Zora's Zucchini, published in 2015. Sylvia's Spinach was named among "15 Books for Future Foodies" by Food Tank and is a Whole Kids Foundation Book Club selection for September 2016.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780983661542
Publisher:	READERS TO EATERS
Publication date:	10/07/2014
Series:	Kids Garden Club , #1
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	101,255
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Katherine Pryor is a good food advocate and made her picture book debut with Sylvia's Spinach, which is now widely used to support nutrition education and school garden curriculum.
She has managed a program to bring local and healthy food to Washington State hospitals and is the co-founder of South Park Fresh Starts, which grows vegetable starts for a food bank in Seattle. Visit katherinepryor.com.

Anna Raff has illustrated several books for children, including World Rat Day by Children s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis. Her illustrations have also appeared in many newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. Before her career as an illustrator, Anna was a designer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and several children s book publishers. She lives in New York City. Visit annaraff.com.

Katherine and Anna teamed up for a second book, Zora's Zucchini, published in 2015.

Read an Excerpt

"Class, the best part about having a garden is eating what we've grown!" said Sylvia's teacher.
So the class nibbled on fresh lettuce.
They bit into far red radishes.
And everyone munched on bright green spinach leaves.
Everyone except Sylvia.

Sylvia sniffed the spinach. It didn't smell bad.
Then Sylvia stuck out her tongue. Licked. It didn't taste bad.
Finally Sylvia opened her mouth and bit that spinach leaf in half.
Crunch!
"Not bad," said a very surprised Sylvia.

Editorial Reviews

• Whole Kids Foundation Book Club Selection • "15 Books For Future Foodies," Food Tank: The Food Think Tank

“A young spinach hater becomes a spinach lover after she has to grow her own in a class garden…For certain picky eaters, the suggested strategy just might work.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Pryor’s lesson about healthy eating and trying new things is delivered with a light touch thanks to Raff’s airy ink washes.”
—Publishers Weekly

"Adults and children are sure to see familiar expressions and recognize Sylvia's objections in the easy language and playful illustrations of Sylvia's Spinach.”
—Reading Rocket

“Every child can identify with [Sylvia] as she tastes a new food for the first time… Readers will have fun getting to know Sylvia, and will eagerly join in a discussion of eating habits.”
—CLCD, Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database

“Sylvia's Spinach reminded me that there's a special, secret ingredient in healthy eating — having fun! With great warmth and humor, this book captures the infectious joy of planting one's first seed.”
—Ian Cheney, Co-founder, FoodCorps

“Understanding food production is pivotal in a child’s development of food habits. The more familiar and accessible this information, the easier it becomes for a kid to eat healthy. Sylvia’s Spinach accomplishes this conversation in an approachable, kid-friendly way — from start to finish.”
—Ann Cooper, "Renegade Lunch Lady," Nutrition Services Director, Boulder Valley (CO) School District;

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—Sylvia hates spinach, but when she is given a packet of spinach seeds that she must grow for a class project, she starts to take an interest in the leafy green vegetable. Hers is one of the first crops ready to harvest. When she nibbles on a leaf at school, Sylvia decides that it doesn't taste so bad after all and brings a bunch home to share with her parents. The predictable story is accompanied by ink wash illustrations. Sylvia's facial expressions convey her attitude toward spinach as she transitions from hating it, to proudly growing it, to cautiously trying it, to actually liking it. The author clearly has an agenda, but if parents can get their kids to eat their veggies by reading this well-intentioned story, good for them.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

School Library Journal

As the story begins, narrator Nancy Wu catches listeners’ attention with her emphatic, “No spinach!” Clearly, young Sylvia does not care for spinach dishes. And wouldn’t you know it—when her class gets a classroom garden project underway, Sylvia is the one in charge of the spinach. She grudgingly follows directions but grows despondent as everyone else’s seeds sprout. Will she ever come to care about her spinach? Wu narrates at a leisurely pace and lets the excitement of the unfolding garden developments carry the story. As Sylvia, Wu delivers an authentically childlike tone. Listeners will delight in the enthusiasm of the conclusion. Gentle music and tips for gardening complete the production. A.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2018 - AudioFile