Popcorn!

by Elaine Landau, Brian Lies (Illustrator)

Overview

Pull up a chair and dig in! POPCORN is chock-full of tidbits about one of America's favorite snack foods. Learn what makes popcorn pop, how Native Americans liked their popcorn, and how television almost wiped out popcorn's future. Cooking tips, recipes, and resources included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570914430
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/01/2003
Series:	Charlesbridge
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.56(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Elaine Landau worked as a newspaper reporter, a children's book editor, and a youth services librarian before becoming a full-time writer. She has written over 200 books for children. Sadly, Elaine passed away in 2013.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3-5-Children will love this enjoyable, oversized compilation of historical facts, legends, trivia, and recipes, featuring the popular snack food. Lies's acrylic cartoons guarantee a good time for all. Students will use this attractive and informative book as both a resource for reports and as a fun read. All that is needed for the ultimate experience is a big bowl of the real stuff, with butter.-Barbara L. McMullin, Casita Center for Technology, Science & Math, Vista, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Not even Lies's (Hamlet and the Magnificent Sandcastle, not reviewed, etc.) realistically drawn figures-children, Pilgrims, and a recurring, mischievous raccoon-manage to add much substance to this jokey once-over. After explaining why popcorn pops, Landau, author of dozens of poorly researched nonfiction titles, sweeps past its history in the Americas-"Researchers have found 1000-year-old grains of popcorn. That's older than anyone you know-including your teacher." Ha ha. She casts doubt on the claim that it was served at the first Thanksgiving, then traces its modern career from curbside attraction to movie-house staple to household snack. After putting a positive spin on popcorn's nutritional value without caveats about adding oil, butter, or salt, she closes with a tally of suggested toppings ("Ranch or Italian salad dressing mix"-um, maybe not), a recipe for popcorn balls (but not popcorn soup, which gets only a quick, tantalizing mention earlier on), and skimpy lists of books and Web sites. Padded with weak wisecracks, superficial generalizations, and outright filler, this isn't about to displace Tomie DePaola's classic Popcorn Book (1978) as an introduction to one of the world's most popular recreational foods. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews