Lettuce Get in Trouble

Gr 1-4–Sara Little Turnbull may have been small in stature, but she was big in ideas and energy. A prolific product designer and innovator, she blazed a trail through American culture for much of the 20th century. The story introduces her as a curious child and quickly jumps to her adult career, where she begins designing products of every sort. It then takes a turn toward an ostensibly fictional account of vegetable-hating children that Turnbull takes under her wing, encouraging them on a journey to design ways to make healthy foods more enticing. In an effort supported by the Ministry of Food that originally reached out to Turnbull for help with the anti-veggie trend, children from around the world gather to explore and experiment with food in imaginative ways with wild creations. The story arc, full of abstractions, will be difficult for young children to follow without a lot of conversation with a reading adult: “Because vegetables are colorful, and each color gives you a different kind of energy. Green for peace, Red for love, Yellow for joy.” Rio’s boldly colored and appealing illustrations keep pace with the narrative, but the narrative doesn’t keep pace with Turnbull.