Dear Broccoli by Jo Dabrowski & Cate James

Many readers and their parents will be able to relate to this entertaining story written in a letter writing format to and from a young child and a piece of broccoli. For those who do not quite find broccoli to their taste, this skilfully written and humorous story may just convince them to have another try.

The bright green front cover with the very unhappy face on the child holding a piece of broccoli on a fork will engage readers from the beginning with the end papers reflecting further aspects of the story. The letters from the child are brutally honest about their dislike of broccoli with bolded and underlined key words and passionate explanations of their feelings. The replies from broccoli are measured and thoughtful and provide the child with more to think about. As the letter writing progresses, it begins to feel like the child who disliked broccoli may be on the verge of conceding defeat but… there is clever twist!

The colourful full page illustrations vary in their format with each letter the hero of the page. The detailed visual images added by the illustrator complement the text perfectly and contribute to the overall appeal of the story with the facial expressions being a standout.

Themes: Dinnertime, Broccoli, Letter Writing, Facts, Humour.

Kathryn Beilby