The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondis an amazing book on nutrition using the ABC’s to organize the content. The book begins with each letter boldly illustrated on the left hand page, including the featured fruit or vegetable and a side bar of additional ones that start with the letter. On the right hand page, a rhyming description of the fruit or vegetable accompanies a drawing. The rhyme includes interesting facts, geography, and humor. For example, “J is for sweet jicama (HEE-ka-ma). They’re eaten sliced or whole. If you pronounce the J like H, You’re speaking Espanol!”

The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond could end after the alphabet is over, but there is much, much more! The “Beyond” portion of The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondprovides recipes, fun facts, geography, links to other great children’s literature on the letter or fruit/vegetable, jokes, tongue twisters, etc. This is a great resource for parents, teachers, homeschoolers, etc. to extend the nutritional and alphabet lesson.

ABC books are great for young children. They offer an enjoyable method to expose children to the alphabet. The more exposure children have to letters, the more they will notice their characteristics, etc. ABC literature is an effective method for letter introduction and reinforcement, and it is much more developmentally appropriate method than direct instruction. The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondoffers a fun way for children to learn about nutrition in the context of the alphabet. I can’t way to try out some of the recipes!