"Victoria minced the garlic while
Officers Deena and Tina tugged
and tugged at Mr. Wen,
who tugged
at Mrs. Kosta,
who held tight to that big red beet
and pulled with all her might."
There's going to be a community potluck in July. Victoria and her friend Mrs. Kosta have decided they will contribute a beet salad for the party. For that, they will first have to plant the beet. That they do, and then spend months caring for their garden. To their surprise, the beet grows and grows and grows!
On potluck day, they prepare to harvest their beet and make the salad. It will not budge. While Victoria checks the recipe in her Baba's Kitchen cookbook, a parade of community workers stops to see if they can help Mrs. Kosta get the beet out of the ground. Victoria wants to help; she is told at every turn that she is too small. As the adults work to remove the beet, Victoria makes preparations for the salad itself.
That beet will not be harvested. Helpers keep stopping by. Victoria continues putting all other salad ingredients together. The beet refuses to budge. Passersby stop to watch, take pictures, and show astonishment at what is happening in the garden. Victoria can't take it any longer. She gets on her tricycle, attaches herself with a skipping rope to Ms. Browne, the bus driver, and pedals with all her might.
SPROING!!
Any child who knows The Enormous Turnip story will be delighted to listen to this book. It's great fun to read aloud. Repeating the words with each additional helper is perfect for little ones. All the while, they are also learning about the making of a beet salad. The illustrations are full of color and detail, adding another dimension to the enjoyment. The community is multicultural, happy and helpful.
A recipe for the salad ends the book, and a hint that another might be on the way for the fall ... with a butternut squash pie. We will have to wait and see.
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