Want a fun way to introduce the “five a day” fruits and vegetables concept to children?

I Can Eat a Rainbow: A Fun Look at Healthy Fruits and Vegetables by Annabel Karmel (DK Publishing, 2009, ages 1-6) is an 18-page board book filled with colorful, delicious-looking art. The two-page spreads feature animals creatively made out of fruits and veggies. Pages ask, “What’s the dog/bunny/pig/frog/elephant/sheep made of?”

Dividing the fruits and vegetables by color, the book helps children learn the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown and white. Children can practice saying the names of fruits, vegetables, parts of the body (on the animals) and shapes. And, for adults, the introductory pages offer ideas for helping children enjoy eating their fruits and veggies!  

The ‘mom test’

During the first reading, my children, ages 5 and 2, enjoyed looking at the yellow banana dog, with black-eyed pea eyes and floppy banana peel ears. They also loved a red rabbit constructed with one apple, one strawberry, four raspberries, two apple peels and black-eyed peas. Someone also supplied a radish for the rabbit to munch. The kids wanted to read it again.

Over the next month, my 2-year-old enjoyed carrying the book around and often requested it. It’s a short and colorful read, and both my husband and I complied.

However our 5-year-old wasn’t interested in re-reading the book. He mainly used it as a springboard for making animals out of the contents of our refrigerator and wondered how the author got the parts to stick together. (We gave him a plate with dollops of peanut butter, honey and some cloves and suggested he experiment. He requested some help, but overall, seemed to enjoy this messy process.)