Penny's Reviews and Chat

Green Gooey Goop

by Anna C. Morrison

Artwork by Alexander Morris

Green Gooey Goop is a rhyming story about a mom trying to introduce more “green” into her child’s diet. Mom concocts some green stuff in a cup—perhaps it’s a green smoothie? The girl is over-reacting and imagining all sorts of yucky smelly green stuff. In one scene she’s even wearing a gas mask. Several appealing green foods are mentioned:  avocados, asparagus, broccoli, green apples, kiwis, pistachio nuts, and peas.

Mom said,“Green is

healthy and good!

What is better green

than your food?”

Later other things are added:  pickles, cilantro, spirolina, even frog toes! So, if all that is blended into the same cup, then maybe it is green gooey goop.

Shake it well; it

pours out in clumps.

Mom says drink up—

it cures the grumps!

As a mother and teacher, I applaud any efforts to get more fruits and vegetables into children. I know one mother who snuck bits of broccoli into her boys’ smoothies. I never tried that, but I have served celery and apple slices with peanut butter, and baby carrots as snack foods. I’ve gotten my daughter to like strawberry banana smoothies without ice cream! Another friend serves a veggie tray with Ranch dressing. We do and try all this in the name of improving our children's nutrition and health. 

The artwork by Alexander Morris is quite descriptive. He makes it look more like a mad science experiment gone wrong instead of a dietary innovation or intervention. The first plate of food looks perfectly normal and edible with melon and asparagus. Then later on, our main character is stirring up something with noxious fumes and describing all sorts of horrible things that must be brewing up in the pot.

Slimy and thick,

with floating chunks,

made from snot in

elephant trunks.

In the end, the girl’s poor dog gets some green goop spilled on him, and he turns green. Hmm, maybe it isn’t food after all. Still, we all need to eat more green foods, more colorful fruits and vegetables to improve our health. If poking fun at what we eat, how it’s fixed or smells at least starts a conversation about healthy food, then we’re moving in the right direction.

Green Gooey Goop is in soft cover and ebook editions published by

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com

It is available from quality online book sellers such as www.amazon.com, www.barnewsandnoble.com

More information on Anna C. Morrison is available at www.annacmorrison.com

Tags:

Green Gooey Goop, Anna C. Morrison, Alexander Morris, green food, veggies, vegetables, fruits, health, nutrition, smoothies