"Aisle 13 is the lolly aisle and the lollies were having a party!"
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A Vegie Adventure by Arty Erlich and Darren Jamieson Trafford Publishing
book review by Janelle Garcia
When the Mini Mart closes for the night, the food comes alive. But some of the food in the Mini Mart may take things too far. While the veggies prefer an orderly store, the "lollies" from aisle 13 can get a bit unruly. On this night, Ben Banana, Larry Licorice, and Mandy Marshmallow declare their party is for "bad lollies only… no good vegies allowed." The vegies try to explain that the lollies are not allowed to stay up so late and make such a mess, but the lollies rejoin, "We don't care who cleans up the mess, we are lollies and we are really BAD." In the end, a scuffle ensues and the vegies make the lollies clean up their mess. The lollies are filled with remorse and promise they will try harder to emulate the well-meaning vegies.
The preface that explains that the book is designed to "promote vegetables for children" as well as discuss "conflict resolution." The vegies are positioned as "good," but any discussion about nutritional values versus that of some of the lollies, like marshmallows and licorice, is left out. Furthermore, both a banana and a snake are lumped in with the lollies, which may confuse the point. Although a banana is not a vegetable, it remains undistinguished from candy. Finally, the narrative's central conflict is resolved through a "scuffle," as the vegies subdue the lollies and force them to clean up their mess. This could spark a debate about how to resolve conflicts without violence.