Dear Broccoli by Jo Dabrowski illustrated by Cate James

Dear Broccoli,

Last night at dinner you were on my plate. 

AGAIN. 

This is the third time this week.

Please don't come back.

From, 

Frank. 

Dear Frank, 

Thank you so much for writing me a letter.

No one has ever written to me before.

I must say I was touched. And then I was amused - since I am always left untouched on your plate!

I am sorry to hear that you do not want me to return, but

I am afraid I cannot grant your request. 

The matter is out of my florets. 

Your parents decide when I attend.

I suggest you raise your concerns with them.

Yours sincerely, 

Broccoli 

I love the way Broccoli writes - his tone is so serious and also cheeky. These two are the first of a series of letters. Broccoli takes every opportunity to explain his value to Frank but will he convince this young boy to change his mind. 

This book will be an absolutely perfect to read aloud to your group of younger students age 7+. After your reading everyone could write a letter to a vegetable and then the students could swap their letters and write a reply from that same vegetable. Here are some other ideas for using this book with your school group. 

I know we are all supposed to eat five serves of vegetables each day but I will confess I don't always do this. I have all my standard weekly vegetables - potatoes; onion; carrots; pumpkin; cabbage; cauliflower; green beans; peas; corn; mushrooms; spinach; brussels sprouts; celery; lettuce; and I do eat broccoli every week. I am sure, though, that there are other vegetables that I could add to my basket - broccolini (I am not really a fan); kale (I have never eaten this one); snow peas (often a bit too expensive); asparagus (I eat this in season); leeks; baby squash; capsicum; eggplant (not a fan); lentils (never never); fennel (no no no); sweet potato (no); and Swiss chard (I have never even eaten this one).

Of course, as Broccoli himself points out in Dear Broccoli - tomatoes are fruits as is pumpkin. I wonder if rhubarb counts as a vegetable?

Here is an official list of vegetable categories:

Root Vegetables: These are plants whose edible parts grow underground. Examples include carrots, potatoes, beets, radishes, and turnips.

Leafy Greens: Leafy vegetables are known for their tender leaves and high nutrient content. Spinach, kale, lettuce, and Swiss chard fall into this category.

Cruciferous Vegetables: These vegetables belong to the Brassicaceae family and are known for their cross-shaped flowers. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are cruciferous veggies.

Allium Vegetables: Alliums have a distinctive aroma and include garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots.

Podded Vegetables: These are vegetables enclosed in a pod or shell. Examples are peas, beans, and lentils.

Stem Vegetables: Stem vegetables are plants whose edible parts are stems or stalks. Asparagus and celery are common examples.

Jo Dabrowski is a children’s author and illustrator whose debut middle-grade novel, Get Your Act Together, Doris Kozlowski, was shortlisted for the 2024 Readings Children’s Prize. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.  Cate James is an award-winning illustrator and printmaker from Sydney and Edinburgh.

I am a fan of books that contain letters like this between characters. The official term is epistolary. You might find these examples in your school or public library:

The Wheelbarrow Express by Sue Whiting illustrated by Cate James

I am working my way through the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2024 notable titles. The Wheelbarrow Express is a title from the Early Childhood list and I really like it. The intended audience for books in this category is ages 0-6 and I can see this book will be perfect to share with your own young reading companion or grandchild or with a younger group in your library or preschool. Why? I will list some features here:

• The setting is a farm - all young children, even if they have not had the opportunity to visit a farm, love farm animals especially pigs and chickens.
• The relationships are warm and recognisable - Grandfather and grandson. And there is the arrival of a new baby which is an adjustment for all older siblings.
• There is a repeated refrain - toot! toot! choo-choo-choo-choo. After all this is an express "train" and there are many stations to visit along the route.
• The plot is linear as the child and adult travel through the farm, so it is easy for a young child to anticipate a happy ending or in this case reunion with mum and the baby.
• Adults will love the tiny touches of poignancy - grandad knows he will see Tom again but today is the final day of this visit. Grandad is clearly choked up when they say goodbye to the dam - his voice has gone croaky, and that final hug is so special - I certainly felt the strong squeeze of Pa's arms.
• The plot races along with the wheelbarrow but before we reach the end the journey there is time just to sit still and enjoy skipping stones into the yabby dam. (A reminder to slow your reading down too and make a plan to one day skip stones too.)
• This is a universal story of love and shared experiences, but it also feels Australian (I mentioned the yabby dam).
• And there are also those all-important touches of sweet humour such as when the goat steals Tom's railway cap. 
• The collection of treasures are the perfect way to recap their journey - the special shared moments of, not just that day, but over the whole visit. 
• This book will be one you share with your young reading companion more than once and I would anticipate that some of the phrases might become part of your own family vocabulary - "Put away the gloomies"; "With a bump and a bounce and a toot"; and "Till next time."
• I love that this is not an end-of-life story - it is just a happy day shared across the generations. Too often we categorise grandparents as elderly, but the reality is a child the age of Tom, I'd say he is 3 or 4, would have a grandfather who is only 65-70 years old.

Image Source: Walker Books

I have previously talked about the art of Cate James. It really shines in this book. I highly recommend this book and suggest after reading you go down to your shed, pull out your old wheelbarrow and go for a ride around your own backyard or park. 

The CBCA Judges said: A heartwarming celebration of the loving bond between a child and grandparent is shared in this timeless narrative. Readers may be familiar with a wheelbarrow ride and will enjoy joining Tom and Pa on their last day on the farm together, journeying on the wheelbarrow express, collecting mementos and revisiting favourite spots and memories. The language is simple and accessible for young readers, with onomatopoeia and some verbs emphasised in a different font. Crucial to the narrative, the farm setting is gloriously reflected in the soft colour palette of blue, greens and browns. Avoiding sentimentality, the narrative alternates between the pair’s genuine banter and playful descriptions of farmyard activities and closes on a reassuring and satisfying note.

This is a charming story celebrating the special bond between grandparent and grandchild that is destined to become a family favourite. The Bottom Shelf

I do hope we see The Wheelbarrow Express as a short-listed title. I previously hoped this would happen with another book by Sue Whiting:

Beware the Deep Dark Forest

See more books by Sue Whiting here on her webpage. With a group of older students in Grade 1 or 2 you could read another terrific book that features a journey in a wheelbarrow:

The Man whose Mother was a Pirate

The Starting School list by Kitty Black illustrated by Cate James

You’ll learn where the loos are, and all about bugs.

You’ll learn a sad friend could do with a hug.

You’ll learn the best spot for sand that is slushy.

You’ll learn that tomato makes sandwiches mushy.

School begins in just over a week and so this is a PERFECT book to share TODAY. 

If you have a new child starting to Kindergarten (big school) please try to find this book. 

I especially enjoyed following the story of the different children in the class room - watch out for the little boy who sits alone and then you will smile when he finally makes a friend. 

Here is the website for Cate James. I have talked about her work in a previous post. Here is an interview with the author Kitty Black. 

I do hope this book has been entered into our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) awards - in Early Childhood and if it has I expect to see it listed as a Notable title when they are announced on 27th February. It could/should even make the short list!

I have a Pinterest collection of Starting School books. 

If you share The Starting School list with an older child (maybe Grade 2 and up) it would be fun to compare the kindness of the older brother with the advice given in this book (1988 so out of print but it might be in a library).

Meet the illustrator Cate James

I borrowed some winter books from the library this week. Books filled with snow and winter animals. When I picked up Go Home, Little One! (see below for more details) I was surprised to see the name Cate James. I briefly met Cate in my local bookshop (Beachside Bookshop) a few years ago when her book Echidna had just been published. I was curious to discover more about this illustrator. 

Cate James is originally from Scotland but she came to live in Australia in 2015. I love the way her change of country is so beautifully reflected in her work. Here is an extract from her website:

Cate is an award-winning illustrator and artist based in the beautiful Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. She moved from Edinburgh, Scotland in 2015 and recently became an Australian citizen. She has been working as a full-time freelance illustrator since 2010, and has a background in printmaking.

Here is an interview with Cate James where she shares the inside of her studio.

Here are two of her early books:

And here are her more recent titles:

Here is a review from Kids' Book Review

Read more here

Cate has also worked on book covers for Barrington Stoke and for this series by Vivian French:

In Go Home, Little One we meet young Florence the hedgehog. It is time to snuggle inside and hibernate but Florence wants to play outside with her friends. Their game takes Florence and the twin squirrels, Harry and Barry, deep into the forest. Every animal they meet advises the trio to head home but they want to continue their game and that is fine until they meet Mr Fox! This links nicely with Cate's own favourite childhood book - Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins.