Learning about food waste with Lenny and the Ants

Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, OzHarvest, is continuing to fight food waste but this time they plan on making sure young readers are also aware of the big issues with the release of their first picture book Lenny and the Ants.

Described as a delightful and warm-hearted picture book to help children discover a whole new way to think about food – we can’t wait to read it!

Written by actor and singer songwriter Jessica Chapnik Kahn, and illustrated by artist Matthew Martin, Lenny and the Ants follows the journey of a hungry and temperamental little kangaroo who cannot find anything good to eat no matter how hard he looks. It’s lucky the resourceful harvester ants are so clever, as they come to the rescue, showing Lenny new ways with old food. Together the new friends learn the joy of re-inventing and sharing food. There are even some recipes to try!

OzHarvest Founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn said the book is a first step in engaging children and their families on the fun ways we can save food from being wasted and the rewards of being resourceful together.

“Lenny and the Ants helps children understand the precious nature of food in a way that is joyous and fun. Whether a child or an adult reads this book, I believe the message resonates with everyone – wasting food makes no sense. It also reinforces the fact that there is a way to live in harmony with what we have, with awareness and resourcefulness. Food is about sharing, caring and love and Lenny and the Ants completely embraces that notion!”

Maybe this will have children thinking about what happens to the perfectly good food they leave in their lunch box or on their plate…

Proceeds from the sale of each book will allow OzHarvest to deliver 50 meals to vulnerable Australians so there is added incentive to share this book with little readers in your life.

Lenny and the Ants is available to buy from the OzHarvest website here.

You can learn more about OzHarvest here.