Vegetables in Underwear by Jared Chapman

VEGETABLES IN UNDERWEAR by Jared Chapman
(And what else would you expect them to wear?)

At last, a picture book that categorically confirms what we’ve suspected all along: underwear is fun-to-wear! In Vegetables in Underwear (Abrams Appleseed; April 2015, $14.95. Ages 2-5), author/illustrator Jared Chapman revels in this most important milestone of life, graduating from diapers to undies.

The celebration starts at the very beginning. The front endpapers show a variety of vegetables dressed in all kinds of snappy attire. On the copyright page, we cheer for the stalk of broccoli whose evident struggle in taking off his shirt brings to hilarious light the technical difficulties of vegetables undressing. By the dedication page, we are well on our way to the underwear party.

Kids will love the lively contrast of color between the stark white pages and vibrant colors of Chapman’s vegetables. Parents and caregivers will appreciate the multiple layers Chapman offers: names of vegetables, colors, opposites, synonymous for underwear (drawers, undies, briefs, underpants—who knew there were so many??), and days of the week. As a side note, we can assume from our hero, the pea, who blissfully runs about holding (not wearing) his underwear that undergarments are optional on Friday. After all, we do have our own ways to celebrate the kick off of another weekend, don’t we? On the opposite side of the emotion spectrum, we also empathize with our friend, the potato, whose “LITTLE UNDERWEAR” creates an embarrassing, shall we say… AHEM…, “cracking” problem that anyone, human or vegetable, can relate. The author himself certainly admits to this fact on the book jacket, but we won’t hold it against him.

We do come to find out on page 27 that, sadly, the underwear club is an exclusive club. “BABIES DON”T WEAR UNDERWEAR. BABIES WEAR DIAPERS!” As such, they are barred from joining the party, complete with confetti and balloons. But, not to worry, for the closing endpapers show them being comforted by a grown up eggplant whose encouraging pat on the head may perhaps give our baby veggies (as well as our preschool audience) all the more reason to ditch the diapers and put on those big boy/girl underpants.

I thoroughly enjoyed this light hearted book and found myself coming back to Chapman’s loveable characters again and again. Head over to your local independent book seller and pre-order your copy today.

– Reviewed by Armineh Manookian

Ever since reading her first Berenstain Bears book, reviewer Armineh Manookian has made it her life’s ambition to live in that “big tree house down a sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country.” When she’s not dreaming about Mama Bear’s kitchen, you can find Armineh in her own, working to keep her cubs well fed. (It’s a full time job!) In addition to kitchen duties, she loves cooking up picture book stories spiced with wacky characters who get into all sorts of trouble. How will they work through their problems? As a former preschool teacher and current mentor, Armineh draws inspiration from those little people whose small size disguises the biggest and bravest heart.