Reviews

• "CCBC Choices,” Cooperative Children's Book Center
• "Book of Distinction,” Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California

“A fine introduction to units on nutrition, healthy eating, and creative people making positive change.” —“Starred” Review, School Library Journal 

“[A] lively biography… chronicling the life of one contemporary foodie who has worked to make a difference in children's nutritional lives… The art greatly enhances the text, with its varied multitude of cheerful people growing, preparing and enjoying food, as well as the use of different framing techniques and vantage points… An obvious choice in communities that have active Edible Schoolyards, it may spark some interest in communities that do not—yet.”  —Kirkus Reviews

"This beautiful story not only captures the evolution of Water's work at the Edible Schoolyard, but also communicates the very real focus of her message to young people: "You are important, you deserve to be well-nourished and fed." This book utilizes whimsy of words and illustration to makes the legacy of Alice Water's accessible to readers of any age. "  —Kyle Cornforth, Director, Edible Schoolyard Berkeley

AFTERWORD by Alice Waters:

Dear Reader and Eater,
I hope you have liked hearing my story! Here are some things I have learned about food and cooking from my time at Chez Panisse and the Edible Schoolyard—and from my daughter Fanny:

1) Grow your own food. If you grow it and cook it yourself, you’re going to want to eat it—even kale!
2) Taste and taste again. Who knows what you are going to like? Always have a taste of everything—and remember that ripeness is all! You never forget the taste of a perfectly ripe peach.
3) Always eat in season. I promise you that those supermarket tomatoes in the middle of winter are not going to taste good! You don’t want to eat the same second-rate foods all year round that aren’t delicious—you want to wait for the juicy tomatoes and sweet corn in the heat of summer. They will be all the better for your wait.
4) If your plate is too full, it is hard to taste. If something is truly delicious, you don’t need to eat so much to be satisfied. It’s when things don’t have flavor that you eat more and more and more, searching for flavor that isn’t there.
5) Cook with your friends! You can talk about things when you’re shelling fresh peas or washing lettuce, and will have so much fun making food together. When you come together at the table and share a meal, you never know what you are going to learn.

I can’t wait to see you all in the garden and the kitchen!
With hopefulness, 
Alice Waters

Alice Waters founded Chez Panisse in 1971 and The Edible Schoolyard in 1995. She was the first woman to win the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef Award. This year she was named among Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. 

Excerpt from the book

"Alice Waters has always
been friends with food.
When she was three years old
she wore food —
a lettuce leaf skirt, radish bracelets,
a necklace of strawberries and a crown of asparagus —
and won first prize in a costume contest.

Little Alice was also looking for Delicious.
And she found it
in fresh green beans
and just-picked blueberries."

— from the book

About the Author and the Illustrator

Jacqueline Briggs Martin, author of the Caldecott winner Snowflake Bentley, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal, and Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table, tells how one child’s search for delicious led to a dream for all children to share the joy of tasty food — the same joy we get from a beautiful song or a starry sky.

Jackie has taught creative writing at Hamline College and University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival. She grew up on a farm in Maine and now lives in Mt. Vernon, IA. Learn more about Jacqueline at jacquelinebriggsmartin.com.

Hayelin Choi Hayelin Choi is an illustrator and textile designer. This is her first picture book. She is a graduate of School of Visual Arts and lives in Queens, New York. Learn more about Hayelin at hayelinchoi.com.