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Sample Book Pages

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Published CCNC Reviews

Nurseweek Magazine, March 24 edition
(click on the page to read the article)
Copyright 2008. www.nurse.com, All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Turlock Living Magazine, January 2008 edition

Judy Slack takes children's health to a new level
Story by Christina Rhodes
Photo by Stephen Browning

Through bright and colorful illustrations and words, Turlock resident Judy Slack has created a way to communicate healthy eating and living for children, through her new book, Crunching Carrots, NOT Candy.
This unique and lively book teaches children how to be healthy, how to eat healthy and it does it all in a one-of a kind bilingual book.
Slack, a Turlock Adult School teacher, a high school substitute teacher, member of the prestigious National League of American Pen Women, and grandmother, began to notice today’s youth battling with their health.
“Forty percent of all children are overweight in California. [And the] Hispanic culture [is] suffering from alarming diabetic problems related to obesity,” said Slack.
This startling statistic along with Slack’s observation of poor eating habits in the public schools led her to write her first book, which received a Top 100 Books for Educators for 2007 recognition award by the National Education Association.
Slack said she noticed many children eating foods high in sugar, salt, and fat resulting in continuous weight gain.  She also wanted a better life for her granddaughter, her true inspiration for the book.  She wanted to teach her granddaughter a healthier way to eat, live, and exercise.
Slack’s main hope for the readers of her book is that they will apply the information and become more healthy.  Slack made this book accessible for many readers on many levels.  The book targets elementary-age children on up to adults.
As for the illustration, the pictures were created in a fun, vibrant, and attention getting style.  As Slack put color pencil to paper she was filled with child-friendly images flowing from her mind onto the drawing paper.
The pictures are done in a way that is appealing and interesting for a child as well as adults.  It is easy to find yourself looking a the pages over and over enjoying the whimsical images.
Slack also kept the wording of her book in mind.  Pages are filled with fun facts and information for leading a healthy lifestyle.
The wording also works well to grab the attention of an adult without talking down to an adult reader.
Anther aspect of the book is that it is bilingual.  Slack found there to be a need for a health book not only for English speaking children but also for the Spanish speaking community.  Each page in her book is mirrored in English and Spanish.
Slack filled two needs, overweight youth and Hispanic Diabetes related to with gain, with one book.
She not only wrote and illustrated her book but she also self-published and marketed the book.
From conception to bookstore shelf, her book took two and a half years to evolve.  Defining the need for such a book came early, as she was unable to find anything else on the market like it.
The researching, writing, translating, reviewing, illustrating, publication, and marketing all took time.
|Once the idea, the words, and the images came to her, it was on to a computer graphic colleague to format the book and then to Gowans in Modesto to print the final copy.
During her process, she contact writing agents and publication companies only to learn that she needed a publicist to market her book.
However, she did not want to go through the lengthy and confining process of hiring a good publicist, agent, and publishing house.
To keep all her literary and artistic control, she opted not to go the route of the traditional publication house and set forth on her publishing journey all on her own.
While Slack was alone on her road to self-publishing and learning about the coveted shelf space at a bookstore, she did have a few friends who helped guide her through the vast sea of research.
One notable friend was Renee Harris, a Registered Dietician at Emanuel Hospital.  Harris reviewed Slack’s book and gave needed advice and input from the stand point of a medical professional.
The book has since gained a list of followers such as registered dieticians, nurses, elementary teachers, home economic teachers, and dentists, all of whom have raved over the material.
Elementary teacher Cathy Thornhil writes that the book is, “…language friendly [with] healthy benefits.  This colorful book has an engaging style that encourages youth to read and learn as they turn each page again and again.”
But in the end, it was her dedicated work that landed her new book on the shelves at Borders in Turlock, under ‘everything local’, Beckman Honey Tasting Room, Emanuel Hospital, Yesterday’s Books, The Spa Salon, and through the website www.crunchingcarrotsnotcandy.com.

NEA Today September, 2006
(click on the page to read the article)

CSU Stanislaus Magazine Fall/Winter, 2006 
(click on the page to read the article)

Modesto Bee, July 18, 2007 edition

TEEN OBESITY DISCUSSED: 

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Obesity and teens, and their lack of consumer survival skills, is the topic of this month's El Concilio lunch meeting July 26. It will highlight cancer awareness and prevention of obesity. The presentations will emphasize the importance of prevention and education. Sandell McLaughlin will speak about national studies on young adults and their spending habits, and escalating debt with no asset building. Judy Slack, author and illustrator of "Crunching Carrots, NOT Candy," will focus on the prevention of obesity. She will share CCNC, a bilingual educational tool written to help children and their parents change their eating habits and make good food choices while becoming active. The presentation will be at 11:30 a.m. at El Concilio Community Center, 1314 H St. Lunch will be provided.
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(click here to view the complete original article on ModBee.com)

Modesto Bee, August 13, 2006 edition

Local Authors Published

By SUE NOWICKI
BEE STAFF WRITER

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"Crunching Carrots, NOT Candy," by Judy Slack ($18). This self-published bilingual book in English and Spanish is aimed at grade-schoolers.

The colorful, large paperback book encourages kids to choose food from five colors each day for good health. There's a page for each color that shows samples of foods in English, with a mirrored page in Spanish. There also are sample menus and tips on healthy snacks and good hygiene.

Slack is a teacher who lives in Turlock. She saw that students were becoming overweight from their poor eating choices and wanted to encourage them with healthier eating habits. A registered dietitian has endorsed the book.

It's available at the Emanuel Medical Center gift shop in Turlock and at the Beekman and Beekman honey-tasting room on Geer Road in Hughson. It's also available online at www.crunchingcarrotsnotcandy.com.
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In 2002 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported an increase in child obesity (6-11 year olds) by 16% in boys and 14.5% in girls. This brings the total number of overweight children in the US to over 30%. Using the Body Mass Index (BMI) of these 30% who are overweight, 15.5 % are considered obese. Furthermore, the CDC found that children from minority populations (Latinos, Blacks, and Native Americans) are more prevalent to obesity (www.obesity.org).

It is no wonder many books on child nutrition are coming out. One local writer and teacher, Judy Slack, has written a wonderful book on child nutrition, Crunching Carrots Not Candy, specifically for children. Its language is clear and simple to understand and is divided into color groups. She writes that ‘5 a day the Color Way’ was established “by the National Cancer Society and the Produce for Better Health Foundation…to encourage all children and their families to eat 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables every day for good and better health” (pg. 3). She also has a chapter on fiber and healthy snacks.

It is now clear that being overweight or obese leads to greater health risks. The CDC reports that from 1992 to 1994 the percent, type 2 diabetics skyrocketed from 4% to 16%. Asthma, hypertension and sleep apnea are also common health effects that can develop from being overweight or obese. Orthopedic complications are common as the excess weight can lead to “bowing and overgrowth of leg bones” (obesity.org). Socially, children who are overweight or obese are stigmatized which may lead to other disorders such as eating disorders.

Schools and families should work together to provide healthier lifestyles for children. As a teacher and a mother, Slack knows firsthand about children’s eating habits and thinks children need to develop healthier eating habits if they are to lead healthier adult lives. She includes a chapter on exercise called “Get Moving!” that provides great examples of fun activities children can do such as roller blade and dance.

I found the book to be a great resource not only for children but adults. There are many aspects of nutrition that adults do not understand such as calories and good fats versus bad fats. Slack explains the difference between a serving and a portion of food, calories and how to read nutrition facts labels.

Crunching Carrots Not Candy is also written in Spanish for the growing Latino community. You can order the book directly from the author at www.crunchingcarrotsnotcandy.com, and check out her health links.

WHERE CAN I BUY CCNC MERCHANDISE?

• The quickest and easiest way to order is right here at CrunchingCarrotsNotCandy.com, visit our store to 
  buy books, posters, and more!

- or -

• If you would prefer to order by mail, please use our printable order form. 
  After printing this form, simply fill it out, then send with payment to 
  Judy Slack at the address shown on the form.

- or - 

• Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, CA,

• Beekman and Beekman Honey Tasting Room in Hughson, CA,

• and Yesterday's Books in Modesto, CA,

• and Borders Books (in the Children's Section) in Turlock, CA.

ARE THERE FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES?
For information on fundraising opportunities or bulk orders of any of these products, please email Judy Slack. 

HOW DO I CONTACT JUDY SLACK?
The best way to contact Judy Slack is by email.

ARE PURCHASE ORDERS ACCEPTED?
Purchase orders are accepted, but this option is not available online. 
To pay with purchase order, please email Judy Slack. 

HOW CAN I VIEW THE BOOK BEFORE PURCHASING IT? 
Take a peek at the book online by clicking on “About the Book.”  There you will find sample book pages in English and Spanish. 

CAN I ADD A CCNC LINK TO YOUR WEBSITE? 
Feel free to use any of the WEB LINK BANNER graphics under the CCNC Extra menu.  Follow the simple directions to apply these banners to your website. 

HOW DO I BOOKMARK MY FAVORITE CCNC PAGES? 
Most Web browsers allow you to create bookmarks which allow you to return to a URL you have visited on the Web. Once you have added a bookmark, a preferred page is only a click away. Adding CCNC’s home page to your Bookmark page will make it easier for you to return to the site.

IS THERE AN ACTIVITY PAGE FOR CHILDREN?
Yes.  There is coloring page for children that they can have fun coloring with their playmates.  And there will be more activity pages soon.  

CAN ANYONE UTILIZE THIS NUTRITIONAL PICTURE BOOK? 
Yes.  Although CCNC was targeted for elementary aged children, it is a very useful tool for adults in learning about healthy food choices and activities.  CCNC was also written as a language learning tool for both children and adults.   

CAN CCNC BE TRANSLATED INTO OTHER LANGUAGES? 
Yes.  Judy welcomes multiple language translation in order to provide important nutritional information to all children. 

WHAT QUALIFIES JUDY TO WRITE A PICTURE BOOK ON NUTRITION AND HEALTH?
As an advocate of education for the betterment of society and with a passion for healthy living, Judy chose this pertinent issue to research and write.  As a layman in nutrition, she sought out the expert knowledge of multiple medical institution, researchers, medical professionals and dietitians to compile CCNC.