Sun in My Tummy: How the food we eat gives us energy from the sun

by Laura Alary, Andrea Blinick (Illustrator)

The cooking of a healthy breakfast moves from parent-child bonding to an eloquent conversation about energy, the growth of plants, and the miraculous ways the sun’s light nourishes us all.





It began with the sun,


Who showers the earth


With heat and light—


Tiny packets of energy.





How does a home-cooked breakfast give a little girl the energy she needs for a brand-new day? In gently expressive language, her mother takes readers on a journey into the earth where sleepy seeds are tickled awake and grow into golden oats; into blueberry patches, where green leaves break apart water and air to build sweet sugar; and into a pasture where sun becomes grass, becomes cow, becomes milk.



Author Laura Alary’s free verse breaks big ideas into child-sized pieces, making Sun in My Tummy an accessible introduction to the concepts of matter and energy, and how the sun’s light becomes fuel for our bodies through the food we eat. Andrea Blinick’s mixed-media illustrations pair the cozy and homelike with the glowing and dramatic as she takes readers from the kitchen to the farm field and to the sky and back. A concluding Author’s Note shares further information about photosynthesis for young readers.

“This book is as essential as sunshine; the absolutely beautiful STEM story is as absorbing as photosynthesis itself.”—School Library Journal ★ Starred Review

“Toronto author Laura Alary’s poetic rumination about how
the sun nourishes us all offers food for thought. The sunny and bright
mixed-media illustrations from Andrea Blinick are inviting.”—Quill &
Quire ★ Starred Review

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Food, Science, Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2023

About the author

Many years have passed since Laura used to make her own books with manila paper, mucilage and crayons. Nowadays her books look much more professional, but the process of creating them is as much fun as it always was!

In her writing , Laura draws upon her background in Classics, theology and biblical studies, as well as her long-standing interest in ancient history, folklore, mythology, and science.

Her books are meant to teach and to entertain, but most of all, to encourage children to wonder about the world and to ask really big questions.

Laura's books include: All the Faces of Me (Owlkids, 2023); Here: The Dot We Call Home (Paraclete Press, 2022); Sun in My Tummy (Pajama Press, 2022); The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything (Kids Can Press, 2022); Breathe: A Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time (Paraclete Press, 2021); What Grew in Larry's Garden (Kids Can Press, 2020); Read, Wonder, Listen: Stories from the Bible for Young Readers (Wood Lake Books, 2018); Look! A Child's Guide to Advent and Christmas (Paraclete Press, 2017); Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter (Paraclete Press, 2016); How Do I Pray for Grandpa? (CopperHouse, 2014); Mira and the Big Story (Skinner House, 2012); Victor's Pink Pyjamas (CopperHouse, 2013); Jesse's Surprise Gift (CopperHouse, 2012); and Is That Story True? (CopperHouse, 2010).

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The complicated ideas of matter, energy, and photosynthesis are distilled in an accessible, easy-to-digest manner in this colorful picture book. While most of take for granted the foods we eat, there are many steps that go into making this food possible, all of which are described here. Created with gouache, colored pencil, collage, and chalk pastel, the illustrations are filled with life and references to the sun, without which, there would certainly not be life as we know it on this planet, and there would be no yummy oatmeal for little girls to eat. As the young girl in this picture book heads to the breakfast table, her mother explains how the oats were once seeds, dependent on the soil and the sun and rain to grow, and how blueberries and milk, ingredients in her meal, came to flourish. That yummy meal, which provides the energy the youngster needs in order to function all day, is owed to the sun's warmth and green plants. The idea of the sun being in the girl's tummy is a creative one. Although it might not actually have been captured in her stomach, the sun is responsible for her food and very life. Readers won't want to miss the Author's Note, which expands on the concepts introduced in the story. This process is undeniably amazing, and it all started with bacteria on this planet eons ago. It's virtually impossible to read a book such as this one and not marvel at the world's origin and mysterious interconnections.

[Miss Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story about a girl having breakfast in the morning and how each component of her breakfast - the oats, the blueberries, and the milk - needed the sun. This story could be a good way to introduce the concept of photosynthesis to early elementary students without using that word. The illustrations and use of color are simply gorgeous. The text is very engaging, often posing direct questions to the reader or using short, punctuated sentences to convey poetic imagery.

Another reviewer pointed this out, and I will too - happy cows grazing in open fields is a myth and obscures the harsh reality of factory farming. Not saying that I think a children's book needs to dive into how light is manipulated to affect husbandry production, but I'd rather not lie to kids either. Would it stop me from reading this story to a group? No, but that's why it's 4 stars for me instead of 5.

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book nicely meshes together an engaging narrative with scientific learning. A young girl eats her breakfast before school and learns how each of the three elements (oats, blueberries, and milk) are made with energy from the stun to bring energy to her body. The narrative flows nicely but introduces complexes topics to young children in an accessible way. Children will learn about photosynthesis and the inter-relatedness of energy in all of life on Earth. I love the illustrations -- warm golden tones throughout and lots to look at on each page make for a nice read aloud science narrative book.

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.

[Ersa S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable and gave me an interesting outlook on what I put into my body and the awareness of my own sunshine within it. My kids thought it was just the coolest thing to have sunshine in their bellies and, after reading this book, were running all over the house telling anyone and everyone that they had the sun in their belly.

~SPOILERS BELOW~

As stated above, the viewpoint of the sun reaching our stomach from our food absorbing it, and all the processes in between from garden to dining table, were fantastic. It was a very fun story that was both educational and entertaining without being considered too boring by kid standards.

I would love to include this into my toddler storytime in the future.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out with a little girl being woken up in her bed by the sun coming through the window. Mom is downstairs cooking oatmeal, and the book begins talking about how the sun also woke up the oats. She's also having blueberries and milk, so we learn how the sun is in the blueberries, and now it's in her tummy!
Obviously the happy dairy cow propaganda is super effed but also easily skipped over.
I like this way of looking at of food and energy. No thoughts of calories or anything bad in food, just an understanding of connection to the earth and sun and the sun as a life-giving force to us all.

[Miss Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out with a little girl being woken up in her bed by the sun coming through the window. Mom is downstairs cooking oatmeal, and the book begins talking about how the sun also woke up the oats. She's also having blueberries and milk, so we learn how the sun is in the blueberries, and now it's in her tummy!
Obviously I'm not okay with the "happy dairy cow who gives us milk" but that part is easily skipped over.
I like this way of looking at of food and energy. No thoughts of calories or anything bad in food, just an understanding of connection to the earth and sun, and the sun as a life-giving force for us all.

[Natalie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts with a young girl eating her breakfast. She then goes through and explains where all the different components of her breakfast came from and how they got in front of her. I liked this book because it introduced the life cycle of plants and drew connections between where food comes from and how it ends up at the table. I would use this book in the classroom as a reference book at a center where students are exploring where food comes from and how plants grow. There is a great illustration on one of the pages that shows the life cycle of a plant and it connects everything back to the energy given off by the sun.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, picture book style, easy to read book about where food comes from. Could be read for storytime. But there is an error on the page with the tree stump, in the discussion of seeds and plants. The sentence reads "When seeds to o back to the soil..." and I think it's supposed to read "When seeds go back to the soil..." So if reading for storytime, make yourself a note to correct that sentence while reading.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars. This nonfiction picture book delivers. It's educational, but doesn't feel like it's trying to teach you a lesson. The story and illustrations take center stage in this book about photosynthesis and the journey food takes, from sunlight to our tummies. Reading this on a sunny morning with some blueberry oatmeal sounds perfect to me - recommended to read with children 3-7.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little introduction to photosynthesis, plant growth and more! The illustrations are charming and Alary keeps the text balanced between scientific exploration and relatable breakfast experiences. I appreciated the link to further resources, but wish the back matter could have included some further reading ideas within the book too.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl gets up and eats her breakfast: oatmeal with blueberries and milk. The text explains how that food fuels her with energy that originally came from the sun and traces its path to her plate. A great read aloud for introducing photosynthesis or the food web. In the same vein as Messner's Over and Under series.

[Krystle Kisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sun in my tummy was more then I ever expected it to be. I love the learning this book has for children. This book explains in such a great child’s level way of how each item in one’s breakfast is made and contributed by the sun and it’s energy. I recommend this book to everyone with children. It’s a must have and a book I will read again and again.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

A science-y picture book telling the tale of how a bowl of oatmeal comes to be, from seeds in the earth to oats and blueberries. I think some kids will really like this, though maybe better for one on one reading.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever way to teach kids about the origins of their foods and introduce a number of scientific concepts. I don't know how many kids are excited enough about oatmeal to want to read a whole book about it, but I like how it gets kids to think about their food an appreciate where it came from.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An introduction to photosynthesis and the interconnection of the food web. This picture book takes some complicated concepts and simplifies them for children. A good read for those interested in nature, though the concepts may require some additional explanation for kids.

[Sandra Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an all around feel good story that encompasses love, science and gratefulness. I especially loved the page about cow :) The illustrations are also a wonderful blend of warm and cool colors that draws you into all the cozy feelings.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cooking of a healthy breakfast leads to an accessible discussion of energy, matter, and photosynthesis.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book giveaway readalouds - June 21, 2022

The author explains how the sun helps everything in this youngster's bowl of oatmeal (with blueberries and milk) grow.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever blend of fiction and nonfiction to tell the story about how the sun influences the world around us - specifically our breakfast of oatmeal.

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.yabookscentral.com/the-su...

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was educational and fun. It spoke about where food comes from and how interconnected we are to the sun, air, plants, and animals.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this book that examines in part the role of the sun in the food we eat

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun way to learn about how the sun nourishes all living things.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay-ish. The author was really obsessed with how the sun is the cause of all the food we have. I wasn't captivated by the illustrations or the story.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful expression of photosynthesis and the process by which plants turn air and water and sunlight into food. It is a miracle and kids will be amazed.

[Andrea ODonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the cute connection of what we eat back to the sun.

[Tori Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Educational, lyrical look at where food comes from