New Children’s Book Encourages Kids To Look At Food Differently

The latest publication from Feeding Minds Press, the publishing arm of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, is “I LOVE Blueberries,” a children’s book written by Shannon Anderson.  Anderson said her newest book is a sequel to the award-winning “I LOVE Strawberries.”

“'I LOVE Blueberries;' picks up where 'I LOVE strawberries' left off," she noted.  "Jolie, our enthusiastic little gardener, at the end of the strawberries book, after finally convincing her parents she should be able to grow her own strawberries, her mom takes her to a blueberry farm, and then we kind of have this repeat where she says, “Oh, I love blueberries!” And so, this is all about her now exploring how to grow blueberries.”

Anderson said the book will teach kids they can learn a lot by growing their own food.

“It teaches them science and math and nutrition; how hard work pays off and problem-solving," Anderson said.  "I mean, there are just so many great things. And, of course, food's pretty important as far as we can't live without it. So, I think it's good for kids to have an interest and to know where their food comes from.”

Anderson added the featured crop is not the only change from “I LOVE Strawberries".

“Instead, I decided that what I could do is feature a different form of farming. And so, in this book, she's exploring hydroponics. Kids are going to see Jolie and her new friend Margo working together to figure out a way that they can do a do-it-yourself hydroponics bucket farm in their classroom. I hope that kids will see that there are so many cool ways that you can grow your own food.”

Click Here to learn more about I LOVE Blueberries, or to order your own copy.

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