Get ready to dig into the delightful world of Macie and the Magic Veggies. This charming children’s book takes readers from the grocery store to the farm where 5-year-old Macie meets teenaged Farmer Lundyn, who knows the secret ingredient to growing the best vegetables is love.
Author Peter Contardo weaves a whimsical tale reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, with illustrations that will warm your heart like sunshine. The book also features a thoughtful Q&A section for grown-ups to spark conversations with little readers, plus fun activities to keep the magic alive long after the last page has been read.
But the real magic? Seeing kids fall in love with the story! While reading the book my 6-year-old grandson was captivated by the talking little critters, especially the frog, and said the book was “Awesome.” When I asked him what he’d plant if he could grow anything? He looked at me very seriously and said, “Jellybeans.” His reason why? “You said I can pick anything.” I guess I asked for that.
While I was reading the book to his 3-year-old sister, he came in the room and said, “Oh, you’re helping Grandma now.” But instead of leaving the room, he stayed while I finished reading the story, pointing out the little critters he had fallen in love with.
Her favorite part was the illustration of produce in the grocery store. No surprise, she is a bit of a foodie. I asked her the same question I asked her brother. She threw her arms up in the air exclaiming, “Carrots! I like carrots now!”
Spoiler alert. Peter plans on writing a series of books and refers to them as the Macieverse. His goal is to inspire children to be curious, to care for each other, and to take pride in the world around them. All fantastic messages.
Packed with realistic characters, love, and heartfelt lessons Macie and the Magic Veggies is a good read for kids and grown-ups alike! Highly recommended by this grandma and Where The Food Comes From!
