Tag Violeta Noy

World of Food

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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.

Halloween is Coming: The Right One / Monster School / Bizzy Bear Spooky House

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The Right One
Violeta Noy
Templar Books

New Spanish author/illustrator Violeta Roy presents in bold graphics, a cute story about daring to be different ghost-style: it’s perfect for Halloween, especially for those who don’t like to be scared.

Roderic is the smallest ghost in a very large, ancient family. They all look pretty much alike on account of wearing sheets although Roderic’s is the tiniest.

This diminutive ghost is the last of a long line and he feels more than a little insignificant. None of his family seems to notice his presence. Roderic decides to do something about this. His name is fixed, ditto his family but he can change his appearance. Both a hat, and a scarf prove problematic.

Next morning, deciding a more radical approach is required, our little ghost experiments until finally he’s ready to sport his new gear.

However the reception he receives isn’t quite what he’d hoped, so off he goes to strut his stuff among the city folks. Once again though, nobody notices him at all: poor little thing is now feeling even more invisible than ever.

Back home again he’s given a fresh white sheet but it makes him anything but happy. His frustration causes things to start flying around, one of which just happens to land upon the little ghost and yippee! It feels absolutely right.

What’s more, it looks absolutely right and now nobody is going to stop him from wearing it.
And maybe, just maybe, his new appearance might have some influence on other members of Roderic’s family.

For older readers:

Monster School
Kate Coombs and Lee Gatlin
Chronicle Books

A school it may be, but despite its fairly typical activities – homework for example, there’s a class pet and a regular weekly menu on offer at the cafeteria – Monster School’s pupils are anything but your usual boys and girls; the staff are pretty weird too.

Let’s meet some of them. There’s Stevie the Loser, who manages to lose pretty much anything and everything from backpack, book and homework, to his eyeball, kneecap and arm; what a zombie! He may not be able to find said homework but keen-eyed readers will surely spot it still attached to that missing arm of his.
There’s also ‘a ‘multicultural’ miss – whose family tree comprises giants, witches, trolls and other ghoulies.

Computer Wizard has tech skills aplenty: app creator, program writer extraordinaire, with a mouse that dines on virtual crackers and cheese and a ram that consumes virtual grass; seemingly this guy can do anything so long as it’s not a word problem.
I should also mention she of the amazing hair; it’s entirely reptilian with an abundance of adders, vipers and other venomous twisters and twiners.

Katie Coombs imaginative verses employ a variety of forms that will send tingles down the spines of primary age readers while Lee Gatlin’s creepy illustrations home in on the grim and gruesome with plenty of details of the shivery kind.

For the youngest:

Bizzy Bear Spooky House
Benji Davies
Nosy Crow

In his latest adventure, Bizzy Bear dons his starry costume and accompanied by his pal, ventures into a spooky house. Therein are plenty of things to make him shiver as he enters the spiders’ web festooned hall, climbs the creaky stairs and discovers a surprise party at the very top of the house.
Benji Davies’ scenes have plenty to amuse and explore and with a slider or tab to manipulate on every spread, this is mock scary Halloween fun for toddlers.