THE VIBRANT VEGETABLE PATCH | Free Children Book

Charlie’s dinner plate is always full… of untouched vegetables! No matter what his family tries, nothing works—until a visit to his grandparents’ magical vegetable patch changes everything. With talking potatoes, chatty carrots, and leafy greens eager to share their secrets, Charlie discovers just how amazing veggies can be. What will he do when he learns their hidden powers?

It is illegal to use this free children's book for commercial without giving us credit by linking to our website www.monkeypen.com. Teachers and Educational Institutions, please read our T&C before making any use of monkeypen books.

Please share our books with your friends and family to support our mission. Thank you 

 

 

 

 

Click here to read more Free Children's books

Charlie never liked to eat his vegetables. He always left his plate half full.

His parents tried to make him. But it didn’t work, no matter how much they would push and pull.

Every evening at dinner, Charlie would eat around his vegetables, avoiding them, as if they were not even edible.

He didn’t understand their importance or why there was such a need, especially because they grow out of the ground like a weed. 

His parents would leave him at the table for hours.

“You’re not allowed to leave until you’ve eaten yours and the rest of ours!”

His siblings tried to help by spoon- feeding him like he was a baby:

“Come on, Charlie, here comes the airplane,” they giggle rather shady.

But forcing Charlie to eat his vegetables only made him hate them more.

He would get so angry that he’d shout. At times, he even swore.

His family was slowly beginning to give up on their son.

“No one can help him, it simply can’t be done.”

But one sunny afternoon, Charlie’s grandparents stopped in to say ‘hello’.

The last time Charlie saw them was a long, long time ago.

Charlie’s parents explained his problem and how they all felt sad.

But his grandparents giggled slightly, “Oh dears, don’t you remember the garden you had?”

It took a moment to remember, but Charlie’s mum suddenly gasped.

“The vegetable patch! Is it still there?” she asked.

Again, the grandparents laughed, “Of course, and it’s growing better than ever.

Charlie can come help us harvest, and I promise he’ll come back very clever.”

So when Charlie’s grandparents set off for home, Charlie went along too.

He was quite excited to see all the things his grandparents had grown.

After a long drive, they pulled up to a beautiful cottage in full bloom.

Suddenly Charlie realised why his grandparents never seemed to be gloomy.

The cottage was whimsical and wild, “Wow,” said their shocked grandchild.

In the back garden was the vegetable patch, surrounded by grass so lovely and green.

Charlie could see so many plants, from fluorescent flowers to bountiful beans.

“Welcome to our patch,” the grandparents introduced. “We will go start dinner, while you explore all that we have produced.”

Charlie’s grandparents headed indoors, leaving Charlie in a jungle of growing plants.

‘Where do I begin?’ he thought, feeling like a tiny ant. 

But before Charlie could make up his mind, a little voice called, “Over here!”

Charlie looked around, but no one appeared to be there. 

“Down here,” the voice called again, which made Charlie look down at the mud.

All he could see in the sea of brown was food his family would call a ‘spud’.

“Hey, we’re the potatoes,” the brown round things began to say.

This made Charlie leap backwards in such shock.

“There’s no need to worry, we want to teach you why we are so good.”

“So instead of being forced to eat us, you’ll happily want to, like you should.”

Charlie was still too starstruck to speak, he was talking to a talking potato.

He wondered if it was all a dream. Did his grandparents know?

But, the potatoes went on, explaining the nutrients vegetables provide.

How they can give you vitamins and more, and how they make illness’ subside. 

“Us potatoes are actually carbohydrates, so we turn them into sugar, it's so sweet.”

“Which gives you energy to keep you on your feet.”

Then, from behind Charlie, another voice began.

“Hey! Over here! You’ll be our biggest fan!”

Charlie turned to see some leaves in a variety of sizes.

“We know we don’t look like much, but our powers will take you by surprise.”

“We are the leafy greens, the spinach, the lettuce, the cabbage, and the kale.”

“We are high in calcium, so your bones don’t start to feel frail.”

Next up, the carrot patch wanted to join in. 

“Hey, we want to tell you how we are good for your skin.”

“We also give you vitamins that can help your eyesight,

so you can see better during the night.”

In rows and rows of soil, lived the broccoli and the peas,

They were very excited to tell Charlie how they helped his body with ease.

“We keep your heart healthy,” the Broccoli proudly said,

“And our fibre keeps your gut healthy,” the peas in the pod shouted loudly.

Charlie then looked to another garden bed, where all he could see were little white heads.

“We’re the mushrooms,” the cloud-like food said. 

“We provide biotin that keeps your hair and nails strong and fed.”

Charlie walked over to the pumpkins and squashes of all different colours, sizes, and shapes. 

They were the last vegetable to speak to after a very long traipse.

“You can turn us into soup, maybe even a stew, but we give you white blood cells that fight any illness inside of you.”

As soon as they finished speaking, the whole garden fell quiet.

Charlie was left to think about how much vegetables do for your body and your diet.

Then, Charlie’s grandparents called him in for something to eat. And you better believe it, he ate up every single vegetable like it was a sweet treat.

When Charlie returned home, none of his family members could believe their eyes.

He never complained about or refused to eat vegetables again, much to their surprise.

But there was one thing he wanted to let his family know.

“All this time, you didn’t have to force me or try to beg. If you had just told me how good they are for me, you would have persuaded me to eat my vegetables!”

Please share our books with your friends and family to support our mission. Thank you 

 

 

Click here to read more Free Children's books