A Foodie's Alphabet: A Is For Artichoke: a Foodie Alphabet from Artichoke to Zest by Maddie Frost

V Is For Vanilla

W Is For Whisk

Maddie Frost's A Is for Artichoke: A Foodie Alphabet from Artichoke to Zest (Sourcebooks, 2018) is not your father's alphabet book. Sponsored by America's Test Kitchen, this little book is tailored for the hardcore young foodie and filled with varieties of vegetables, fancy fruits, culinary concepts, and esoteric equipment, and the eye-pleasing pages mix colorful entries for ordinary foods--ice cream and jam--and unusual foods--kumquats, quinoa, xigua, ganache--and kitchen equipment from the ubiquitous oven to the less-common lemon zester.

Along with their letters, young children will learn about foods they may spot in the supermarket and enjoy the anthropomorphic cartoon illustrations, and slightly older kids may appreciate a nodding acquaintance with edibles like lox and edamame, tools like the whisk and tongs, and processes such as brining and caramelization. Even umami gets a mention, although the definition of "savory" only approaches the somewhat amorphous meaning of the term and may not be familiar for the youngest kids. This is indeed an alphabet book in a class by itself.

This different drummer of an abecedarius has specific appeal to kids who know or wish to know their way around the kitchen and table. Says School Library Journal, "Foodies will love this celebration of all good things to eat. Also an excellent introduction to more complex culinary vocabulary."