Identity Crisis in Aisle 4! Avocado Asks by Momoko Abe

AVOCADO WAS JUST FINE IN THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE AISLE OF THE SUPERMARKET... UNTIL ONE DAY A SMALL CUSTOMER POINTED AND ASKED...

"IS AN AVOCADO A FRUIT OR A VEGETABLE?"

Suddenly Avocado is in the middle of an identity crisis. He consults the motley mix in the veggie display. He's not leafy like the cabbages, crunchy like a carrot, and none of them have sizable seed right in their middles. He queries the fruits. He's not juicy or sweet, and there's still that pit problem.

THERE MUST BE SOMEWHERE I CAN FEEL AT HOME!

Does anyone have these problems in the meat section? Fish or Fowl?

Nope. He's shaped like an egg, but he's clearly NOT one. He's not cheesy, or spicy. Avocado feels his insides melting into... something like...

GUACAMOLE!

Then he's accosted by a round and rosy, clearly plant-based guy.

He's a TOMATO. He's a fruit but rarely eaten out of hand. He spends most of his time hanging around with the vegetables. He's equally good in cold or piping hot dishes, and he's indispensable in pasta and pizza, appearing in many a soup and salad! He's very versatile! And Tomato and Avocado have a lot in common, often collaborating in their joint concoction--guacamole! They make ordinary fruits and vegetables...

GREEN WITH ENVY!

Momoko Abe's Avocado Asks: What Am I? (Doubleday Books, 2020) is the story of a deliciously delightful identity crisis in the fresh produce section, with the quiet lesson is it's not where you come from but what you can offer, while imparting to young readers a bit of plant science. Author-illustrator Momoko Abe, assisted by her clever artwork, adds the simple message that it not what you are called but what you actually can do that matters. And in the playful spirit of her story, she offers a new botanical brain teaser for young readers: What are rhubarb, mushrooms, horseradish, or coconuts?