Review by Booklist Review
Using appealing and engaging tidbits of information, this book briefly examines the history of food production while focusing on the way new technologies are being introduced in response to climate change and population growth. Readers are asked to consider what early explorers, traders, and fliers like Amelia Earhart ate when fresh food or refrigeration wasn't possible, how wartime soldiers ate on the move, and how natural disasters impact access to food. Chapters describe ways technological advancements have affected how civilizations grow, raise, hunt, and catch food, and they reveal how the act of sharing food and eating together promotes well-being and a greater sense of cooperation and community. The book also provides examples of how reducing food waste helps increase food sustainability. Vibrant color photos and Lim's appealing images enhance the text, while sidebars provide facts about technological innovations. The presentation concludes with tips for readers on how to reduce food waste. Useful information for students interested in environmental activism or in STEM topics.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--7--This cheerful, informative title explores how humans have learned to grow, cook, and consume the food we eat. With engaging text, colorful photos, and a design-heavy treatment, this short nonfiction book approaches this kid-friendly topic by focusing on the utility of food--why we need it for nourishment and how many of the food-related discoveries occurred out of necessity. Explorers hoping to avoid scurvy, astronauts flying in space, and people in wartime have given rise to creative ways to consume for survival. The book highlights some of these issues and how groups overcame them with a "Challenges" sidebar, indicating what obstacles they faced in that specific event, and a "Menu" sidebar listing the foods that helped them be successful. These topics often expand to explore even more food-related threads. Interwoven throughout are intriguing tidbits about the history of food like how nutritional science and the knowledge of vitamins' impact on the body developed over time. Sometimes the text meanders, but kids will be so fascinated, they won't mind. The climate crisis and the importance of addressing the growing scarcity of resources are consistently addressed, making this a very relevant work for young people. Additional images include photos, charming illustrations, pithy chapter headings, and dynamic design. Back matter includes tips on how kids can explore food and help in the climate crisis, further reading, a glossary, and an index. VERDICT A browsable nonfiction work on an intriguing subject with many curricular tie-ins.--Shelley M. Diaz
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A plea to address food anxieties by wasting less, being more efficient with current resources, and exploring alternative sources. Best thought of as a discussion starter, Clendenan's survey is light on fine details but spotlights a great array of food-related topics. The author makes quick nods toward both cautionary and inspiring incidents, from the ill-supplied Robert Scott Antarctic expedition to how a marooned group of Polynesian youths got by on a deserted island for 15 months in 1965. More recently, Clendenan describes the way the Russian invasion prompted Ukrainian restaurant owners to provide free meals to refugees. She also details creative ways in which people have met technical challenges, such as the invention of packaged salads for the military or growing food in outer space. In an overview of the history of farming, the author points to agroforestry (planting trees and shrubs alongside crops) as a potentially sustainable agricultural practice while warning of the problems posed by monoculture crops. She forthrightly suggests that, along with food that's now being thrown away for cosmetic or other poor reasons ("landfill salad"), more seaweed, insects, lab-grown meat, and 3D-printed foods will soon be on the general menu. The visuals--a mix of color photos and Lim's illustrations--underscore the worldwide diversity of different kinds of foodstuffs as well as the humans who consume them. A wide-angled review, but useful for raising awareness of a topic of great and growing concern. (glossary, resources, index)(Nonfiction. 10-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
