Help Kids Learn More About Food with ‘Butternut’ Magazine

Sit down for some quality time with your kids with one of our new favorite reads, Butternut. Helping to marry literacy with food, we were naturally drawn to the short but sweet bookazine (a cross between a magazine and book). After reviewing the 30 pages packed with essays, photos, and delightful food tidbits, we had to reach out to the talented creator and author, Jill Colella, to hear more about her inspiration behind the publication.

Jill, like many adults, had a taste for processed food as a child. It wasn’t until her mid-20s that she decided to make a change in her diet, and move from grilled cheese sandwiches to whole foods. “I realized that there was a whole world of food that I had rejected without ever really trying it, and so I taught myself to cook,” admitted Jill. But she did more than the average cook. She started making all her food from scratch, eventually turning her hobby into a career and giving kids hands-on cooking lessons.

Butternut didn’t come into fruition until later down the line. Jill wanted to create a publication for a young audience that connected kids with things they engage with every day. She put it into perspective saying, “So, to me, food seems like a natural subject for helping kids learn about and relate to their worlds. I thought often about the field trips that Fred Rogers would take his viewers on during his Mr. Rogers Neighborhood Program—I wanted to capture that—for food—in something kids could hold in their hands.”

And Jill’s vision is carried out beautifully in the bookazine. It’s engaging, informative and digestible (pun intended!) for both adults and children, definitely accomplishing the magazine’s goal to, “democratize information about food.” Flip through pages of beautiful photos and fun, useful activities that educate 3- to 6-year-olds on all aspects of food including appearance, growth, and cooking techniques. Jill mentioned that reading and eating competency are two essential skills that should be taught to children early on, and we couldn’t agree with her more!

Interested in giving it a try? Visit Butternut‘s website to subscribe!