Highlights Nutrition but in an Unbalanced Way
By Doug Werner, Illustrated by Rafael D. Nazarlo
Mascot Books, $14.95, 32 pages
Nutrition is an important topic in our country. As obesity rates rise, particularly among children, new focus is being placed on educating both children and parents on the importance of nutrition and exercise. The book Abbie Gets Fit/is a book designed for children to highlight the importance of exercise for a healthy life. The story is based on the author’s daughter who was not interested in activity or sports, but had more sedentary hobbies. When she neglected to pass the health screening at school, her parents took action. Abbie and her dad started walking for an hour at five a.m. every morning, and Abbie focused on doing curl-ups and push-ups at night. The result was her passing her fitness test with flying colors when she took it again six months later.
While this book highlights the importance of fitness for everyone, including children, the steps taken in the book (having a nine-year-old get up at five a.m. to walk for an hour) seem drastic and unbalanced, especially given that she was not significantly overweight. Additionally, the illustrations and writing are only mildly interesting; this likely won’t be a book that grabs children’s attention.
Reviewed By Barbara Cothern
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