Bananas

Most children love bananas, but few actually know about the time and effort that goes into their growing, harvesting and shipping. For those of us in the States, it's very easy to simply walk into a grocery store and grab a bunch or two. Most of the time, we don't think about where they came from or how they got here. However, the story of bananas is a complicated and fascinating one.The book begins with the plant itself and explains that bananas are not grown on actual TREES, though the plants can grow to 8 feet or more. We are then introduced to Manolo, a child whose family works on a banana plantation in Honduras (very far away from where one of those bananas will be eaten in the United States by Margie). The growth of the fruit is explained and illustrated in color and sharp B & W photographs. They are allowed to grow, then cut down and sent for processing. There they are cut off the bunch, cleaned and packaged for shipping. Off to a warehouse, then a distributor, then ship norths to the states, then on to trucks to different markets and THEN (and only then!) is they available for the general public to eat.Whew!!"Bananas" is both well written and educational. Many of us, especially children don't stop to think about how a Central American fruit makes its way to the grocery stores in Vermont or Washington. In the classroom I've seen the book used in all different areas of social studies all the way up into 8th grade, so it isn't just geared for young children. The story is easy to read, well written and does not talk down to the reader. The photographs are many and they help show not only the process of growing & harvesting bananas, but also a bit about the lives of the people who grow, pack, cut, and ship them. It's an excellent book and even very young children may enjoy reading about their favorite fruit.