About the Holiday
A fresh delight during the summer and quickly becoming a staple of diets and skin care, the avocado is something of a super fruit. Used by the Aztecs as facial masks to beautify their skin, the avocado was rediscovered in the early 1900s by the cosmetics industry, who began using its oils in creams, lotions, and facial cleansers and continue to do so today. The avocado provides essential Omega-3 fatty acids—which researchers are using in the fight against Alzheimer’s—as well as vitamins E, C, and K that prevent damage to cells and help restore those that are damaged. Of course, avocados are also delicious—by themselves, as guacamole, or in recipes for dishes from breakfast to dessert. To celebrate today, enjoy avocados your favorite way—or try a new recipe!
Avocado Baby
By John Burningham
“Mr. and Mrs. Hargraves and their two children were not very strong.” They were about to add another child to the family, and they all hoped the baby would be not be a weakling too. But when the baby was born, he didn’t like any of the food he was fed, and Mrs. Hargraves cried at how scrawny he looked. Her older children suggested she try giving him the avocado in the fruit bowl. Even though Mrs. Hargraves didn’t know how the avocado had gotten there—they never even bought avocados—she cut it open, mashed it up, and fed it to the baby. He ate it all up!
Copyright John Burningham, 2000, courtesy of Red Fox.
“From that day on an amazing thing happened. The baby became very strong.” Every day, Mrs. Hargrave fed the baby avocado. Soon, the baby could get free from the highchair, pull a cart full of children, and rip off the side of the crib. One night when a burglar entered the house, the baby heard him and jumped out of his crib. The baby chased the burglar with a broom. “The burglar was so frightened at being chased by a baby that he dropped his bag and ran out of the house.”
Copyright John Burningham, 2000, courtesy of Red Fox.
The next morning Mr. Hargraves put a “Beware of the Baby” sign on the front gate to keep other burglars away. The baby was helpful in other ways too. He carried full bags of groceries, helped move the piano and other furniture, and even pushed the car when it broke down. One day when two bullies began bothering his brother and sister at the park, the baby jumped out of his stroller, “picked up the bullies, and threw them into the pond.”
You will be glad to know that the baby is still getting stronger every day, and, of course, he’s still eating plenty of avocados.
Copyright John Burningham, 2000, courtesy of Red Fox.
With his wry humor John Burningham is a master at making children laugh. Avocado Baby is a delightfully silly quick read with plenty of kid appeal in the story’s pint-sized superbaby. The gentle nudge to eat healthy makes the book a fun way to introduce new foods to picky eaters. Burningham’s well-known line drawings of the woe-begone Mrs. Hargrave and the baby pushing the car, chasing the burglar, and especially tossing two bullies into the pond at once will have young readers giggling and cheering.
Ages 3 – 7
Red Fox, 2000 | ISBN 978-0099200611
Discover more about John Burningham and his books on his website.
National Avocado Day Activity
Avocado Bagel
A creamy avocado makes a delicious spread for bagels or toast to have with breakfast, lunch, or dinner! The mild flavor will please little ones while the essential vitamins and oils will please health-conscious parents.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Directions
- Cut the avocado open, remove pit, and scoop out the meat
- In a bowl mash the avocado until it is smooth
- Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper
- Mix well
- Spread on a toasted bagel or bread
Check out this classic story at your local library or find it on Amazon
Picture Book Review
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