This beautiful book is a wonderful way to expose young children to the concept of emotions, and to help a youngster know there is a difference between "sad" and "tired" and "lonely". While the book does not always explain what those emotions mean, it presents the emotions with appropriate expressions that children themselves have held on their own faces. Tracing the down-turned "lips" of a vegetable, my daughter will say, "she's sad like I am sometimes". Then we talk about ways to express sadness/anger/frustration or whatever emotion the vegetable/fruit appears to be exhibiting. In this way, I think the book is a useful therapeutic tool for troubled children.
It's great for "normal" kids, too. The book is fun, and full of life with bright, vibrant colors that make you want to smile. In addition, there is produce in here that most kids have never heard of, let alone seen. I believe that a picky child will be more willing to try a "new" food that she has at least heard of before and seen a picture of, than if she had never heard of them. That has to be a healthy thing!
And lastly, this book isn't just for kids. I think it's a beautiful art book for people of all ages. I enjoy looking at the photos and trying to imagine how the item grew in just that way. Freyman is clever and artistic, and this book is as good as the previous ones.
Emotions without boundaries = possible temper tantrums! I guess my having a two-year old explains a lot, huh? HOW ARE YOU PEELING is a very cute, colorful and entertaining book--I never knew vegetables were so sensitive! Ha. (Two more things that could have made this book even better would have been to mention that vegetables and fruits are YUMMY to eat; also it would have been a nice extra touch if it had scratch and sniff features. Kids adore that!)
