The World in Your Lunch Box: The Wacky History and Weird Science of Everyday Foods

Claire Eamer (author) and Sa Boothroyd (illustrator)

Annick Press/juvenile non-fiction

Release Date:  February 1, 2012

Discover the tasty stories behind the foods we love.

A ham sandwich on white bread. Macaroni and cheese. Peanut-butter-and-banana roll-ups. They may sound like ordinary items, but they take us on an amazing journey through the rich history and astonishing science of food.

Explore a week of lunches-from apples to pizza-by taking a romp through thousands of years of extraordinary events. Some are amusing, like the accidental invention of potato chips. Others are tragic, such as the Spice Wars, which killed thousands of people.

Consider that ham sandwich: Ancient Romans first made ham by curing meat with salt and smoke to kill microbes, while yeast (which burps gas) produces the fluffy texture of bread.

Aztec farmers bred tomatoes from small, bitter berries into plump, sweet fruit, and watermelons sustained travelers 10,000 years ago in the Kalahari Desert.

Without a doubt, Annick Press is turning out some of the best books for kids on the market.  The World in Your Lunch Box is no exception to their stellar line-up, a bright and quirky examination of the foods we take for granted.

Written in a journal style, The World in Your Lunch Box breaks down a week’s worth of lunches.  Lunch items are broken down and readers are presented with both the history and the science of the ingredients.  Want to know what makes bread rise? Curious about who first decided that it was a good idea to eat moldy cheese?  This book presents the common and not-so-common in an easy to read and fun manner.

Another hallmark of Annick Press books, the text is punctuated with bright, lighthearted drawings and sprinkled with bad jokes.  A wholly enjoyable read.

My verdict:  Read it!  This is a great choice for the budding chef in your family.  Although geared to the 9-11 age group, it would make a good read aloud book with younger child, particularly if you are studying kitchen science.