World of Food
Sandra Lawrence and Violeta Noy
Templar Publishing

Ask a child, ‘where does food come from?’ and the most likely reply would be the supermarket or the name of the one their family shops in. Turn to page twelve of this fascinating book however and you will learn that many of the items found thereon had their origins in distant lands all over the globe.
Before that, the first thing Sandra Lawrence explores is the role food (including vitamins) plays in providing energy, in nutrition, and in the functioning of the immune system. We’re then taken back to look at how the earliest humans – hunter-gatherers – sourced and cooked what they ate; as well as finding out something of the feasts rich ancient Romans indulged in.

Next explored are various kinds of vegetables – tubers, then the edible parts that grow above the ground, followed by fruits and nuts, fungi and finally in that section, some dishes from around the world – sweet, savoury and spicy – are presented.

Grains and cereals make up section three

and then for this vegan reviewer, things get somewhat less tasty for several spreads are devoted to eggs and dairy produce, followed by meat and seafoods.

No matter what you eat, the addition of seasonings is likely to enhance your enjoyment and it’s these that are presented in the sixth section.

The next part comprises the sweet stuff. I have a weakness for dark chocolate, the fruit of the cacao tree being the topic for one spread here. Now I call myself a vegan but I have to hold my hand up to adding honey to my daily porridge every breakfast time.

There’s a short focus on festive foods using the tables of in turn, Christmas, Diwali, Passover, Eid-al-Fitr, Thanksgiving and Chinese New Year. Finally comes a brief look at some of the thorny environmental, social and economic problems food production causes; and the final spread explores food in the future.

Food is a popular theme in primary classrooms and this book, enticingly illustrated by Violeta Noy, is one certainly I’d recommend adding to school topic boxes.