Thinking of adding more sustainably grown plant foods to your family meals, both for your health and the health of the planet? That’s great, but of course, you may find an unwilling partner inside your household—your kid.

Fruits, but especially vegetables, can be a hard sell for children. Kids may have palates that are sensitive to bitter tastes; they may balk at unfamiliar textures; they may be genetically predisposed to love sweet and fatty foods above all; they may need repeated tries—sometimes as many as 15—to accept a new-to-them food.

Introducing kids to the beauty of a garden’s bounty can help. Even if you don’t have access to a plot of land, you can still get kids looking at, and thinking about, fruits and vegetables—with help from fun, fetching books. We’ve rounded up 12 new titles (either available at a bookstore near you or coming soon). Urban garden stories feature prominently in this year’s catalog, but there’s something on this list for everyone. At least one book is sure to pique your kid’s interest in trying asparagus and figs—and possibly in growing her own too.

Thank You, Garden by Liz Garton Scanlon & Simone Shin. This simple rhyming story shows off all the messy, muddy fun that’s waiting to be had in a community garden plot. There are worms and bees to befriend, neighbors to hang out with, and plenty of hard work that’s rewarded by a bounty of peas, beets, and berries. And perhaps best of all, a shared meal at the end of the growing season. Beach Lane Books, ages 3 to 7, $18.

One Little Lot by Diane C. Mullen & Oriol Vidal. Inspired by the Soo Line Community Garden in Minneapolis, this counting book follows the efforts of an entire community as it reclaims an abandoned lot and turns it into a place where residents can grow delicious things to eat: bok choy, collard greens, kale, and even a West African specialty eggplant called kittley. Delicious! Charlesbridge, ages 3 to 7, $17.

What Grew in Larry’s Garden by Laura Alary & Kass Reich. Hint: It’s not the usual fare you’ll find piled in the produce aisle of your local supermarket. Larry (a real guy, according to the author’s note) grows much more unusual and intriguing varieties of fruits and vegetables, like scarlet runner beans and peach-colored tomatoes and purple potatoes, which he shares with one young friend—and then, a whole neighborhood. Kids Can Press, ages 4 to 7, $18. 

Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray & Zachariah OHora. All the vegetables in a garden are tuckered out from a hard day of growing big and tasty. Cheerful lino-style prints show turnips and cauliflower, broccoli and radishes, yams and celery snuggling into the dirt as the sun sets. It just might send your tot off to dreamland with visions of fresh produce dancing through her head. HMH Books for Young Readers, ages 4 to 7, $18.

Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery & Jessie Hartland. This book chronicles the real-life exploits of author Hillery as he builds a garden across the street from a school in an underserved neighborhood in New York City. The students themselves get involved in construction and planting and veg care, and as the book progresses, they become increasingly invested in producing food they can bring home to their families. Especially charming are the endpapers featuring sidewalk chalk sketches of the tools of the urban garden trade. Paula Wiseman Books, ages 4 to 8, preorder: $18.

Grandma’s Gardens by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton & Carme Lemniscates. The Clinton women team up with acclaimed Spanish illustrator Lemniscates to pass on the love that Chelsea’s Grandma Dorothy had for her gardens to a new generation of young readers. It’s a highly personal story, and one that highlights the strong bonds that are formed over the simple act of toiling together to grow something good to eat. Philomel Books, ages 4 to 8, $19.

Feast of Peas by Kashmira Sheth & Jeffrey Ebbeler. A man grows peas in his garden, only to discover he’s not the only one who finds them incredibly delicious. Fending off rabbits, cattle, and a covetous neighbor, he eventually manages to enjoy his long-awaited harvest by cooking up a feast and devouring it with a friend. Peachtree Publishing, ages 4 to 8, $18.

The Very Oldest Pear Tree by Nancy I. Sanders & Yasmin Imamura. Here is a fascinating history of the very first pear tree planted, in the 1630s, in the soil of what would become the United States. In fact, Massachusetts’s Endicott Pear Tree— a survivor of all manner of natural and manmade disasters—is still alive and producing. You may not be able to pick fruit from its branches (it’s currently fenced off for its own protection), but all across the country are clone trees that may even be sending pears to a market near you. Albert Whitman, ages 5 to 6, preorder: $17.

The Farm That Feeds Us by Nancy Castaldo & Ginnie Hsu. This engagingly illustrated guide to all sorts of farms and the things that live and grow on them has a Richard Scarry “busytown” kind of vibe. It tallies fruits that grow in orchards and vegetables that can be harvested in early spring or later in the summer. It also offers an in-depth look at tractors, varietals of corn and pumpkin, and ways to manage pests without chemicals—plus scads of info about honeybees and other pollinators. If your child wasn’t interested in becoming a farmer before she reads this book, she will be afterward. Words & Pictures, ages 7 to 11, preorder: $19.

In the Garden by Emma Giuliani. A striking, large-format book filled with practical information about things like compost and cycles of a garden. But gorgeous lift-the-flap illustrations also present seeds, leaves, bulbs, in all their scientific detail. It’s eye candy for any kid (or adult) who gets hungry from learning about things like the pericarp inside a pea pod, how a pistil grows into a cherry, and the highly specific words for the different parts of a seed. Princeton Architectural Press, ages 8 to 12, $28.

Ultimate Food Atlas by Nancy Castaldo & Christy Mihaly. Not strictly about fruits and vegetables, this lively, photo-rich compendium about ingredients and dishes endemic to different regions of the world nevertheless maintains a heavy focus on produce throughout all its chapters. From cherimoya and açai in South America to amaranth and ligusha in Africa, kids will be introduced to numerous mouthwatering, plant-based treats as they flip through the pages. Additional chapters covering farming practices and climate change help drive home to the savvy preteen age group the importance of eating more than just burgers and mac and cheese. National Geographic, ages 8 to 12, preorder: $13.

Bonus:

The Little Gardener by Julie A. Cerny & Ysemay Dercon. So you’ve gotten your child stoked about eating produce and growing it too. Congratulations! The only problem is that you’ve never gardened in your life and have no idea how to ensure a successful—and inspiring—experience for your tyke. This cheerful little reference tome helps you get started, with heaps of practical how-tos about making the most of whatever space you’ve got as well as tips about how long it takes for those seeds to turn into something edible. It might just be the beginning of a tasty new calling. Princeton Architectural Press, for parents, $25.