(3) K-3 Food Heroes series. Illustrated by Christy Hale. A market’s diverse offerings motivate Eva Sommaripa to explore gardening, growing unusual herbs and experimenting with new methods of composting. Her unique approach soon brings quality herbs and other plants to Boston-area restaurants, enhancing local cuisine and demonstrating how her work inspires communal pride and fulfillment. Collage and print illustrations alternate between double-page spreads of idyllic farmyards and vignettes of helpful garden inhabitants. Back matter includes an afterword by Sommaripa, information on women farmers in the United States, “Eva’s Recipe for Growing Pea Shoots,” glossary, and resource list.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Larkin expresses love for his sons and for bees; in a poetic text addressing his kids, he admits that both the boys and the bees can sometimes be bothersome, but "we need [bees] just as much / as we need you." Mixed-media illustrations based partly on photos of Larkin and his family include loose diagrams showing the steps of pollination and a range of bee species from "kind" to "kinda mean." An unusual mix of science and, well, sweetness.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020