Dear Broccoli

Dear Broccoli by Jo Dabrowski and Cate James (Affirm Kids) RRP: $24.99 ISBN 9781923022102

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

Who loves broccoli? Not Frank, who decides to write to his broccoli and tell it to stay away from his dinner. In a funny exchange, the broccoli writes back.

This is a humorous picture book exploring a well-known aversion to vegetables and the idea of having a broccoli pen pal is innovative. In the exchange of letters, Frank shows his emotional reaction to broccoli clearly with capital letters STRESSING his stress. Meanwhile, the broccoli explains its advantages in a much calmer tone, cool as a cucumber.

In fact, they discuss cucumbers. Which, as the broccoli points out, aren't even vegetables. They're fruit.

The starkly contrasting voices distinguish the characters and lend to the fun, though the language of the broccoli may lead to the book not being as accessible for very young readers. The discussion of the nutrients and stress levels might not be as interesting to the youngest of readers. There are little jokes, that adults will notice, about how dietary information is given and how so many vegetables 'are really fruit'.

The pictures are bright and simple in style, with plenty of broccoli-green throughout and capture the sad face of a child not happy to eat his greens as well as cute, animated vegetables.

The illustrations will appeal to a much younger audience while the text indicates a level of sophistication, especially in the humour, that seemed to be aimed at an older audience. It's a book that could possibly interest different audiences at several levels.