Can you guess what vegetable I am? A tomato? A carrot?
Fifteen riddles about various vegetables ask the question, “What am I?” “Hot or mild, I have some heat, I’m not always sweet,” begins the riddle for a pepper and “I’m as small as a cherry or big as a baseball” concludes the entry on a tomato. Each short riddle is written in a fun, rhyming fashion with simple descriptions for each vegetable. Colorful and detailed illustrations of each vegetable provide the answer to the riddle on the preceding page.
Kids will have fun trying to solve these riddles about vegetables that they may encounter on their plate, in the grocery store, or in a garden. Perfect for families who love gardening, read-aloud story time, and parents who want their kids to try new and healthy vegetables.
Reviews
In this guess-the-vegetable book, Benzee presents 15 rhyming “riddles” that hint at common varieties: “I’m grown in pods/ On bush or vine/ With spiraling, twisting spine,/ The size of a pencil rod… What am I?” (a bean). Graphics display each vegetable growing in the dirt and on the vine, or sliced to reveal their seeds and juicy insides—or, in the case of the beet: “My blood oozes out/ When I’m cut in two,/ Now you have an inner view.” Benzee’s descriptions are fun, and the artwork features gentle color contrasts and a crisp, modern feel. With the clues in the riddles, images, and the names of the vegetables appearing in bold capital letters, readers should have an easy time guessing each one. Ages 3–7. (BookLife) — Publishers Weekly
What Am I? Vegetables by John Benzee is an educational and informative book for young readers as they get introduced to vegetables in a fun and interactive way. The riddles about the various vegetables, using simple descriptions and rhyming patterns, make it a fun read and children will have a good time trying to find the answers and solve the riddles. Whether it is a vegetable grown at home, seen in the grocery store, or served on your plate, children will have a fun and engaging time learning new things about the vegetables they come across or vegetables they do not know about. ‘I’m eaten raw, With a taste that’s crisp and sweet, Sometimes with a little, spicy heat. What am I?’ Let us find out more about vegetables from this book.
There are a lot of books for children written on vegetables, but what sets this book apart from the rest of them is the way the author tackles the topic. The idea of introducing veggies in a riddle form is fresh and unique, plus it makes the concept more attractive and appealing to young readers to learn and understand. The author’s illustrations are colorful and bright, and they make the book even more charming to readers. This book is a good way for children to learn about vegetables and it can be used in classrooms to teach children about vegetables, their characteristics, and colors. It is a good book to have in one’s personal collection, especially if there are school-going children in the home. —Readers’ Favorite, 5 stars
Available as hardcover (9780999737903) or paperback (9780999737910)
John Benzee 