Let's Eat: Sustainable Food for a Hungry Planet (Orca Footprints)

Readers will want to go out and get some dirt under their fingernails.

The many clear, color photos and the author's sometimes conversational tone make the book more inviting, and the relative lack of information on this topic for middle-readers is another consideration for libraries

Gr 3-6--Written in a friendly style, this title examines the origins, the potential hazards, and the environmental effects of the food we produce and eat. The topics presented range from small family farming to aquaponics (raising plants and fish together), and the book offers some historical background on food production all over the world. Unusual methods such as underground and skyscraper farming, hydroponics, and the cultivation of edible insects on Mars are also covered. Full-color photographs and sidebars keep the reading experience lively. However, the somewhat random arrangement of the subjects detracts from the overall cohesiveness of the work. Nonetheless, this is a valuable addition that provides new information to students interested in agriculture and the environmental results of present-day food manufacturing. VERDICT Useful for classroom discussions on farming, sustainable agriculture, and the ramifications of industrial farming.--Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In an engaging addition to the Orca Footprints series, newcomer Veness examines agricultural practices around the world, discussing where food found at grocery stores comes from, environmentally sound methods of farming, and sustainability. She also makes the narrative personal, weaving in memories of growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, as well as other anecdotes: "Sometimes my brothers and sisters and I would walk around our acreage with our dad, tracking smaller game like wild rabbit and pheasant, and scanning the sky for Canada goose." Bright photographs of crops, foods, farmers, and global farms, both urban and rural, are included throughout the book's four chapters. Veness avoids taking an overly dour tone when looking at negative aspects of the meat and agricultural industries ("Water contamination is a real problem, but, thankfully, environmental groups and committed citizens work hard to protect these fragile ecosystems") and instead urges readers to take stock of how integrally connected this planet is while empowering them to think critically about the food they eat and where it comes from. Ages 9-12. (Feb.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Ideas are presented in a very well-designed book that is filled with enough interesting facts and pictures to keep it from feeling like a textbook. Vaness and Orca Footprints have done an excellent job of presenting a complex topic that is necessary for everyone to consider in today's world." ― Resource Links

"As we have come to expect, the design invites us to check out the many exceptional archival and contemporary photos provided, and the text is written to grab attention with small bits of useful information...Sidebars, as well as clearly captioned photos, suggestions for learning activities, and charts provide everything needed to guide us through this relevant and thoughtful book...I was quite proud to be able to share some of what I learned when reading this fine book." ― Sal's Fiction Addiction blog

"This book is packed with great photos, fun farming facts, tips to eat more sustainably, and ideas for projects such as how to set up a kid-sized food truck." ― Concrete Garden