After a wonderful season of indulgence, the new year inspires many to eat healthier and to be more active.

If you are one of those people and want to inspire your children to be healthier, too, here are some books to introduce healthy eating, ABC and color concepts, and the wonderful world of fruits, vegetables and fitness.

“Healthy Foods from A to Z/ Comida sana de la A a la Z”

by Stephanie Maze

This bilingual ABC book introduces food vocabulary in both English and Spanish. Each page features a letter or two of the alphabet and the healthy foods that start with that letter in both English and Spanish, and displays a unique healthy food face. It is a perfect catalyst to open up the conversation about the importance of nutritious meals and healthy foods. This title also includes healthy food projects for children and a glossary of foods and descriptions of their health benefits for parents.

“Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z “

by Lois Ehlert

This picture book classic by award-winning author Lois Ehlert introduces the ABCs and offers beautiful watercolor illustrations of vegetables and fruits. I love that Ehlert includes lesser-known veggies and fruits like jicama, gooseberries, okra and endives. The end of the book includes a glossary of the origins of the fruits and vegetables from the previous pages.

“How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food”

by Chris Butterworth

Young children may take the contents of their lunch boxes for granted, but this book teaches them how the food in their lunchbox is grown and processed. This great book shares not only a fun story, but also an educational journey that can lead children to a better understanding of the paths their snacks travel before getting into their hands.

Both the illustrations and story are fun and engaging. This is a stellar non-fiction title on the subject of food.

“The Busy Body Book: A Kid’s  Guide to Fitness”

by Lizzy Rockwell

This book is good for teaching children how the body works and showing how eating healthy and exercising impacts our entire system. From muscles to bones to heart to brain, the author combines the right amount of information and inspiration to celebrate busy bodies that are “built to move.” Easy-to-understand language and colorful illustrations make this a fun, engaging book for preschoolers and elementary ages.

“I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato”

by Laura Child

Picky-eater alert! Charlie is in charge of his little sister Lola and tricks her into eating foods she doesn’t like. “These are not carrots. These are orange twiglets from Jupiter,” maintains Charlie when Lola turns up her nose.

Picky eaters will identify with this funny, witty, imaginative story by Lauren Child.

And so on …

Eat healthy and stay active with your family throughout the year with help from your local library! You can find these titles and more at the North Olympic Library System and by searching the library catalog at www.nols.org.

Need more suggestions? Call the Sequim Library at 683-1161 or stop in for a visit at 630 N. Sequim Ave.

Jennifer Lu’Becke is the Youth Services Specialist at the Port Angeles Library.