What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio

Module 7/SLIS 5420/July 18-25

Bibliography

D'Aluisio, Faith. (2008). What the World Eats. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.
978-1-58246-246-2

Summary

D'Aluisio's book features families all over the world from Bosnia to Chad, Mongolia to Mali and the United States, and shows us, truly, what the world eats. Not only does D'Aluisio tell the story of a week's worth of food for each family, but also breaks down how much money they spend on a week's worth of food, how they get the food and what the food means to each culture. Interspersed throughout each family's food-story are various facts, information and graphics about the world and food.

My Impressions

This is one of the most interesting books on food for young adults and children. It's easily relate-able because D'Aluisio features families, and it's interesting because, who doesn't want to peek inside a stranger's fridge/pantry? Especially if that stranger lives in Poland, Egypt, etc? There are just so many great parts of this book, I don't know where to begin. I absolutely love the breakdown of cost for a week's worth of each family's groceries. It's startling, for young people, how little can be spent on food - but additionally, how few processed foods some families live on. When you take a look at US families as compared to, say, Guatemalan families, there are so many pre-packages, pre-made foods, but then you look at the colorful, delicious array of fruits and veggies that the Guatemalan family use in their everyday cooking, and it makes your mouth water. Maybe this book will give kids a reason to try new foods and understand how important food is within each unique culture.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly: Starred Review. "Adapted from last year's Hungry Planet, this brilliantly executed work visits 25 families in 21 countries around the world. Each family is photographed surrounded by a week's worth of food and groceries, which Menzel and D'Aluisio use as a way of investigating not only different cultures' diets and standard of living but also the impact of globalization: why doesn't abundance bring better health, instead of increased occurrences of diabetes and similar diseases? These points are made lightly: delivered almost conversationally, the main narrative presents friendly, multigenerational portraits of each family, with meals and food preparation an avenue toward understanding their hopes and struggles. A wealth of supporting information—lush color photographs, family recipes, maps, sidebars, etc.—surrounds the text (superb design accomplishes this job harmoniously) and implies questions about global food supplies. Pictures of subsistence farmers in Ecuador cultivating potatoes from mountainous soil form sharp contrasts with those of supermarkets in a newly Westernized Poland. Fact boxes for each country tabulate revealing statistics, among them the percentage of the population living on less than $2 per day (47% in China, where the average daily caloric intake is nonetheless 2,930 per person); the percentage with diabetes; number of KFC franchises. Engrossing and certain to stimulate." All ages. (Sept.)
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Suggested Library Use

I would use this book during an international food or food and culture themed program. It would be great to incorporate some different "food tastings" to allow kids to taste different foods that are featured within the book. Tasty, informative and fun - you can't lose.