The third week of every month is pretty special around here. On Saturday, we’ll welcome our Will Write for Cookies author, Joan Leotta. And that means that today, we’ll be featuring one of her picture books for Perfect Picture Book Friday. If you’d like to see all of this week’s other wonderful perfect picture book reviews, please hop on over to Susanna Hill’s blog.

With the end of the summer closing in on us, I found the perfect one.

SUMMER IN A BOWL

Written by Joan Leotta

Illustrated by Rebecca Michael Zeissler

Published by Theaq Publishing (2016)

Age: 5-9

 Themes:  Gardening, family togetherness

 Synopsis:

From Amazon: “Summer in a Bowl” is a wonderful introduction to the joys of gardening and cooking with children. Rosa spends every Thursday helping Aunt Mary tend her garden. On this last Thursday of the season, they harvest the vegetables and cook them. Rosa finds that vegetables can be delicious and discovers a new way to preserve all of her summer fun.”

 Why I love this book:

• I love stories that promote family togetherness
• It reminded me of the fun my children had helping me in our big vegetable garden when they were growing up…my younger son still loves to garden…and enjoys cooking with fresh vegetables all the time

 How parents can use this book:

• Great opportunity for intergenerational family activities
• Perfect way to help a fussy eater expand his or her choices
• Children will gain an appreciation for where food comes from

 Related Activities

• Plant an herb garden: herbs are fun and easy to grow, even in the winter…all you need is a sunny spot near a window. You can buy seeds or plant seedlings. http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/10-herbs-to-grow-inside-all-year-long

• Right now, in many parts of the country, apples are being harvested. I went last year with my 7-year old grandson…he had a ball! Why not make a day of picking apples and then, when you get home, make applesauce or an apple cobbler for dessert? http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-things-to-make-with-apples.html

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susannah Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, dear friends and readers. If you enjoyed the post, please share it on Facebook or Twitter or whatever social media channels you prefer.

And please do come back tomorrow for:

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

WITH

JOAN LEOTTA

AND ANOTHER BOOK GIVEAWAY!