VEGGIE POWER

In this companion book to Flower Power (with text by Christine Paxmann, translated by Jane Michael, 2020), the renowned illustrator’s favorite veggies pair with text that offers history, scientific facts, and cultural anecdotes.

Hajek’s stylized art—revealing, among other traditions, Renaissance and folkloric influences—never fails to attract the eye and keep it there for a while. The introduction’s conversational text claims that each picture “tells you a fairy tale,” which might mislead readers into racking their brains for associated traditional tales. (The endnotes contain a better explanation of how to parse the artwork.) The text begins with a lighthearted lesson in distinguishing fruits from vegetables according to cooks versus botanists. Each ensuing page turn reveals on the verso a colorful heading naming one or two veggies along with facts including the presence of dangerous lectin in uncooked beans, the largest pumpkin on record, and artificial movie snow made from white potatoes. Each page of text faces a colorful, whimsical illustration. (Since the artist could not resist painting an exceptional corn illustration, the text is quick to mention that corn is not technically a vegetable or fruit.) The text is entertaining and edifying and sprinkled with enough pee and fart stories to buoy lagging attention spans. The history is Eurocentric but gives a clear acknowledgment of the ills of colonialism. Many of the people in the illustrations present as people of color. Animals also abound among depictions of enormous, gorgeous veggies. Popeye and a vampire achieve cameo appearances in the spinach and garlic entries, respectively. (This book was reviewed digitally with 14.1-by-21.2-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% of actual size.)

Stimulating gourmet fare.