Valorie Fisher

Reviewed by Me for Kids @ TeensReadToo.com

My children and I absolutely loved this book. From the story itself to the funny and whimsical illustrations, you won't go wrong adding a copy of WHEN RUBY TRIED TO GROW CANDY to your library.

Ruby Louise Hawthorn is sure that a mean old lady must live on the other side of the fence. But when her ball bounces over that dividing line, Ruby has no choice but to leave a note (in case she perishes) and use a ladder to climb into the next yard.

There she show more discovers the most amazing sight. Miss Wysterious is growing teacups from trees and flowers with clock faces, and has a yard full of playing cards, toasters, shoes, and other fairly fantastical items.

When Miss Wysterious shares her jellybeans with Ruby and instructs her to plant them, she's at first quite dubious that anything will grow. You can't grow candy, for goodness sake!

Until the day comes, after weeks of working in the garden, that Ruby and Miss Wysterious make an astonishing discovery.

Like I said, this is a delightful story, one that is perfect for reading together. If only I could figure out how to have such a green thumb! show less

The second book in the Now You Know series, written and illustrated in Fisher's trademark toy/photo style, is a fun, wandering journey through the origins of various foods.

Curious kids will delight in the carefully organized exploration. It begins with a picture index, listing all the foods explained in the book, and then a key to the organization. There are mathematical combinations that show which things come from something else (like milk and butter from a cow), plus and minus signs to show more indicate ingredients combined, and a picture key to check out more about different ingredients.

In the book itself, readers will learn what goes into an ice cream cone, the complexity of ingredients in a cookie, how maple syrup is made, and even simple items like an apple or popcorn have an interesting history to show. Kids are sure to recognize favorite foods like macaroni and cheese or chocolate as well as learning new facts about everyday items like eggs and honey.

The book ends with a picture showing a plate of five food groups and a reminder to make healthy food choices, a spread showing which vitamins and minerals are included in a variety of different foods, and two pages of a picture glossary defining terms such as bacteria, digest, and pollination.

I did find a few typos in the galley, but alerted the editor and assume these will be fixed in the final edition. A couple things seemed off to me, like the range of cheeses - there's plenty of goat and sheep cheese in the US, not just in Europe, but those are really minor quibbles. Fisher's illustrations are created with a vast array of tiny toys and she shows a nice diversity in the little dolls pictured. None of the items include meat, so caregivers can put off the discussion of where meat comes from for another time.

Verdict: A delightful and fascinating look at the origins of food for curious minds, from kids to grown-ups. This is a great pick for your classroom library or bookshelves at home and kids will love poring over its pages. It should spark many conversations about where food comes from - don't forget to let the kids try their own hand at cooking after reading it! Pair it with cookbooks on a display and it's sure to fly off the shelves. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781338215465; Published October 2019 by Scholastic; Galley provided by publisher; Purchased for the library show less

Kids love to know how things work, but it's not often I find books that are just right for the preschool and lower elementary age that fills that need (and I'm not talking about the four-year-old who explained to us all how compasses work. I have no idea where they got that from.)

Fisher, whose playful photography will be familiar to fans of Everything I need to know before I'm five, does an excellent job of illustrating and explaining the inner mechanics of a fascinating variety of things. show more Readers and listeners will learn the inner workings of a toilet (along with diagrams of where the water goes and how the tank fills up again), how shadows work, with a simple series of yellow balls, arrows, and a green background; the more complex inside of a lightbulb, and how air pressure and straws work.

There are a total of 22 items explained in the book, from whistles to where garbage goes, from blenders to how pencils are made (and sharpened). Simple formulas and pictorial guidelines are given before the reader starts, including how to read the various arrows, and there is a pictorial glossary at the end of the book. The book is illustrated in blocks of background color, with photographs of vintage toys, and with simple diagrams of the insides of various tools and machines.

Verdict: This is a must-have for any school or library that serves preschool up through 2nd grade; curious kids are sure to spend plenty of time investigating the contents and adults may learn a few things as well!

ISBN: 9781338215458; Published September 2018 by Orchard Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library show less

The interesting premise of this book is that the cooking instructions are wordlessly illustrated. Kids who love to create in the kitchen but aren't fluent readers can still make something yummy everyone can enjoy. A key in the front of the book explains the symbols used in the illustrations including when adult assistance is required.