“Let’s hear it for vegetables, let’s hear it for fruits.”

...cheered First Lady Michelle Obama to about two dozen fifth graders at the recent groundbreaking of the new organic White House kitchen garden—the first full-fledged vegetable plot on White House grounds since Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden during World War II.

The gardening effort reflects the First Lady’s persistent call for healthful eating. She often speaks about the importance of nutritious eating, the problem of childhood obesity, and of the challenges involved in getting her two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, to eat more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.

Although we're slightly resentful that we're not gardening yet here in Minnesota (where our winters tend to be regularly too long), we couldn't agree more with the First Lady's sentiments. We published our newest book You Are Healthy to encourage young children to practice healthy behaviors by letting them read similar (and very important) messages like: "You are healthy when you eat veggies and fruits every day."



Just think what can happen if more of us followed Mrs. Obama's healthy example and renewed our efforts to help young children develop a solid foundation of healthy habits. Children will establish their own healthy habits for eating right, exercising through active play, drinking enough water, getting enough rest, laughing and giggling, and much more, to stay healthy for a lifetime.

The First Lady's gardening effort serves as a great reminder that we need to act now—and especially when children are young. Did you know "approximately 25 million children are obese or overweight, making today’s kids possibly the first generation to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents." says a report by the nonprofit organization Trust for America’s Health? This news is simply frightening—and should make us all stop and ask ourselves: "What can I be doing differently for the children in my life?"

We have a simple and effective idea: read You Are Healthy to make a positive difference in the health of a child in your care. It's simply written, has engaging and vibrant illustrations of multi-ethnic kids so all young children can relate to the messages and—more importantly—follow the examples shown. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, early childhood educator, librarian, or counselor, each page is an excellent conversation starter for discussions of other healthy behaviors, too.

So instead of buying that carton of ice cream, another box of cookies, or giving in to buying another candy bar at the checkout counter, buy a copy of You Are Healthy. It's only $7.19 when you order it from our website. We guarantee it'll last a lot longer and your child will appreciate it even more—especially when they're older and living a healthy lifestyle.