Review Detail

When Victoria and her neighbor Mrs. Kosta spot a potluck sign, they decide to grow beets to make a salad. After planting it and tending to the beet while it grows, it's finally time to pull it out. There's just one problem: it's so big that it won't budge one bit no matter how hard Mrs. Kosta pulls. As people join in to help get it out, they still can't get the beet to move. Victoria keeps offering to help, but the adults tell her she's too young, so she starts preparing the salad. Finally, she decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and it's only then that the beet tears from the ground.

CITY BEET highlights small town life and coming together as a community. The illustrations are vibrant and I love the formatting of the words. At the end, I love how we see the diverse characters sitting down together for their potluck and it's a true community. There's even a recipe for raw beet and garlic salad in the back of the book that's easy enough for children to help throw together.


Final Verdict: Overall, this is a cute story for children who enjoy cooking and gardening. It's also refreshing to see the entire community come together and offer their assistance when it's needed. It also teaches that no matter how little you are, you can still help in some way.