Does your child love vegetables? What about a variety of vegetables?
I’ve always loved vegetables, even as a little girl. I have heard stories from other parents how difficult it can be to get children to eat their vegetables. As a veggie love I couldn’t imagine it being difficult.
When my kids were little I introduced them to a variety of vegetables as soon as I got the “OK” from the pediatrician. Even at a young age my kids were enjoying spinach, broccoli and brussel sprouts. Now that they are teenagers they still enjoy a nice variety of vegetables. In fact my kids prefer raw veggies over cooked (I mostly steam) veggies.
I consider myself lucky that my kids love veggies. I know other parents who are still struggling to get their kids to eat their vegetables, or try new vegetables. Some kids tend to stick to carrots, peas and string beans when there are so many delicious vegetables out there to enjoy.
There is a new book that was just released that aims to show young children just how “cool” vegetables can be. The book is called The Rootlets: Super Rootabilities. It was released last month in honor of March being National Nutrition Month.
The Rootlets: Super Rootabilities was created and written by Vicki Marquez and illustrated by Jeremy Russnak.
The Rootlets are a new generation of superheroes – Brocc, Carrotina, Cornelius and Kaley . They live on Planet Planted and live in a town called VeggieVille. They have a cute dog named Basil and a guardian named Yammy Grammy. Yammy Grammy plucked the superheroes from the ground when they were just little sprouts.
When the Rootlets learn that they might have super abilities – or “rootabilities” – they set out on a wild adventure to find out the truth about themselves.
This is a super cute book aimed towards children ages 4-9. Younger children can enjoy the book with the help of a parent or grandparent to read it to them. The lessons learned in the book about health, friendship and using your imagination is something older kids can appreciate and understand too.
I love the illustrations in the book. Not only are they adorable they are also very colorful. The colors really pop off the pages.
This is a very creative book. The author came up with some fun names for the characters, such as Mr. Fungi (“Fun Guy”) and put a lot of great detail into the story (I like National Plantographic magazine – too funny!).
My kids are too old for this books demographics. I took the book to our classroom but I haven’t had the opportunity to read it to any children as of yet so I cannot provide any feedback on how children enjoy it. After reading it myself I can’t see how a child would not enjoy this fun and colorful adventure.
As a parent I love the messaging behind the story and I appreciate having super heroes that might encourage children to want to try out and enjoy more vegetables.
“The Rootlets are so much more than adorable little superheroes, they’re positive role models with the power to help kids embrace and love veggies,” says Marquez, the book’s author. “It’s my dream that families use The Rootlets as an entertaining resource to get their little ones excited about healthy living and yummy plant-based foods in a refreshingly fun way.”
The book is just the first product launched by the Rootlets brand. Their mission is to introduce children to a whole of fruits and vegetables, as well as the importance of healthy eating. More books are in the works as well as games, toys and even an animated television series. I can see these characters on TV. I think they would have great appeal for children.
In addition The Rootlets are going to be launching a website which will be a fun, interactive experience for children with games and activities as well as learning resources and exclusive content for parents.
“Veggies rock and The Rootlets take veggie coolness to a whole new level – especially for the kiddos. My daughter is a huge fan. Great book, great brand, great message. I can’t wait to see what’s next for these rad little characters,” says Chad Sarno, Plant-Based Chef Educator.
The book is available for purchase (I have seen it on Amazon) for a suggested retail price of $12.99. The book is 40 pages in length. That might not sound like much but it’s jam packed with a lot of fun and adventure.
If you would like to learn more about The Rootlets brand please visit www.TheRootlets.com. They can also be found on social media.
What do you think about The Rootlets? Do you think it’s a fun way to introduce healthy eating to children?
Kimberly
*I received a free book sample to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
Sandy Cain says
This is pretty cool! It presents healthy food as friends. (Although, would a kid want to eat their friends?) Hmmm….