Can I Play with my Food? is an early-reader picture book that explores food and science through the eyes of two sisters. Nema and Lexi let their imaginations run wild as they discover where food comes from and how a simple experiment can shape their dreams.
This story shows children that playing with food can be fun, but it also highlights the importance of acceptance. While others might think a disability like Down’s Syndrome is a hindrance, Nema and Lexi show us that the ingredients of compassion, acceptance, and love make anything possible.
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**My thoughts**
You can tell that this book was a labor of love by the author. She shares her artistic talent and also gives a lovely tribute to her sister who has Down syndrome through the character of Lexi. I appreciate the introduction to where food comes from. A lot of children don't realize that food comes from somewhere else before it makes it to the store. This part of the book lays a foundation for further exploration and discovery.
Then the book gets into a bit of science. There truly are dozens of experiments that you can do with food to learn a lot about scientific concepts. The "lava lamp" is a classic fun one. I wish there would have been an addendum to the book that laid out how to actually do it at home. But again, this does lay another foundation for further exploration.
And then in the third part of the book, the girls bake cookies with their mom and learn that baking is another form of science - a fun and tasty one! I don't think a lot of adults realize that baking is actually chemistry. So again, another fun introduction. Again, I think it would have been fun to have an addendum with a favorite cookie recipe using the ingredients listed.
It's a book that works in multple areas of the classroom and can be used over and over when working on these different concepts. It is also one that would be fun to read at home. Again, I think it lays a foundation for all kinds of exploration with food and can be tailored to fit the interests of the kids. I do think it would have been better as a series, though, with each book focusing on each part as described above. Then the author could have fleshed out each concept some more and it would have flowed better overall. Still worth adding to a collection, though!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher upon my request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ali Manning is a food scientist and the owner of Umami Food Consulting. With over ten years in the food industry, she utilizes her passion for food, science, and community to help food entrepreneurs. Ali is also the founder of Food Science 4 Kids, a program that teaches grade-school children STEM-related topics. Aside from her day-to-day businesses, she’s an all-around creative that loves to skate, travel, eat and enjoy life with her husband, Brian Manning. Find out more about Ali at ali-manning.com
Website: https://ali-manning.com
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3HuFMYq
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