A Story ofCommunity, Nutrition, and Inclusion for All Ages

by Yvette Moore … Lessons about community, aging, inclusion, joy, family, healthy eating… and even legacy, are at the heart of In the Mix: Veggie Power, a colorful children’s book by respected Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Dr. Geraldine (“Gerry”) Baker. The retired educator, administrator, and social justice advocate told Our Time Press that she tapped into her lifelong passion for nurturing young minds and shaping healthy habits and positive attitudes in children to craft this powerful “joyous” story.

“It teaches young readers about teamwork, healthy eating, and more,” she said. “It is designed to educate, entertain and uplift.  It also encourages children to explore and enjoy nature and community.”

The beautifully illustrated book tells the story of an aging farmer who finds friendship, help with his farm, and a new market for his produce just in the nick of time. The story opens with a happy Farmer B becoming sad as he realizes he’s alone. His farm, once bustling with children and visiting neighbors and friends, has become quiet and empty as friends retire and neighbors move away. The elder farmer is not only lonely, but he is becoming less able to operate his farm. He is concerned about how children in the community and beyond would obtain fresh vegetables and fruit if he is unable to run the farm.

Through this story, Dr. Baker introduces to readers serious issues that impact the real world: nutrition, food insecurity, elder isolation, inclusion, and the power of community to overcome.

These story themes stem from Dr. Baker’s life experiences in her profession and with her family.  She and her twin, Dr. Audrey Baker, were born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.  Their parents, the later Marie G. and Harry W. Baker, hailed from the South—and that meant regular trips to visit family.  “My father was from North Carolina, and my mother, from Virginia,” she said. “And in the summers, we learned about farming and farm life, firsthand. We travelled South and lived with family who grew acres of tobacco.” she said.

Dr. Baker’s mother also kept a vegetable garden in the backyard of the Baker family’s home in Brooklyn that the sisters helped tend.

“I want the book to give young readers a sense of responsibility as Earth stewards and caretakers,” Dr. Baker said. She successfully does this with surprise plot and character twists: an animated Mother Nature, “talking” superhero vegetables providing instruction on earth stewardship, a great parade, for instance.

Also, the community in In the Mix: Veggie Power is intergenerational, multiracial, and includes a differently abled child who is mobile with a wheelchair.

In the Mix: Veggie Power is a perfect summer vacation read for youngsters and families wanting to explore gardening and nurture intergenerational connections.

With school starting in a few weeks, parents and teachers also will find it is a story for all seasons. By molding her own experiences and scholarly observations on life into the “Veggie Power” storyline, Dr. Baker creates a book for all cultures and all ages, as well.  She successfully delivers spiritual messages of love, cooperation and faith through its characters as well as the storyline. She ends the book with an activity section to show parents or educators how to help children create and care for gardens of all sizes, in a yard or in pots.

About Dr. Gerry Baker

Brooklyn native Dr. Geraldine “Gerry” Baker is a distinguished educator,  community activist and a chaplain whose work for more than four decades has championed causes for children, families, and older adults worldwide.  Dr. Baker has served as a teacher and administrator in New York City public schools and at the college level. She has made a difference in the lives of gifted and talented students; and children with emotional, neurological, physical, and special needs. She earned a B.A. in Anthropology/Sociology with a minor in Linguistics from CUNY College and an M.S. in Education Administration and Supervision from Pace University. She pursued doctoral studies at Nova Southeastern University and received an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from St. Martin’s College & Seminary. She was also an active participant in Harvard University’s special education programs for principals and administrators.

Dr. Baker credits the historic Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, her life-long church, as a power source for her unwavering dedication to community service, advocacy, and education. “In the Mix: Veggie Power” is Dr. Baker’s first book.

For more information, visit:  www.amazon.ca/Mix-Veggie-Dr-Gerry-Baker/dp/1964644550

Yvette Moore is a frequent contributor to Our Time Press and author of young-adult books.