DOES YOUR CHILD EVER WONDER WHY FOOD GOES BAD — AND HOW TO STOP IT?
Preservation Parkway: Tales from Yummville doesn't just answer that question. It turns food science into the most delicious adventure Ayo and Oma have taken yet.
When Ayo and Oma help Grandma harvest fruits and vegetables from her garden, Ayo spots the problem right away: "This is too much! We can't eat it all before it goes bad!" One glance at the Magic Cookbook, and in a swirling flurry, they're whisked away to Preservation Parkway — where the secrets to keeping food fresh are waiting at every stop.
At the Drying Dunes, Dede reveals why removing water from food stops bacteria in its tracks. At Canning Canyon, Cece shows them how heat and sealed jars lock freshness in. At Freezing Falls, Fego explains how tiny ice crystals keep bacteria from ever growing. At Fermentation Fields, Folu introduces them to the good bacteria behind yogurt and sauerkraut. And at the Pickling Ponds, Peju teaches them how salt and vinegar become powerful weapons against spoilage.
When Ayo and Oma return to Grandma's garden, they bring every secret home with them.
"It's like a piece of Preservation Parkway right here in Grandma's kitchen," Oma said, beaming.
WHAT MAKES PRESERVATION PARKWAY DIFFERENT
Real food science, story-driven. Drying. Canning. Freezing. Fermentation. Pickling. These are genuine food preservation methods — taught through a magical adventure that children ages 4–8 experience alongside Ayo and Oma, not through a lecture. Every concept arrives as wonder, not instruction.
A sequel built to stand alone. Fans of Taste Trail and Bakery Boulevard will love returning to the world they know. But Preservation Parkway is a complete adventure on its own — five new locations, five new characters, and a fresh science discovery at every stop. No prior reading required.
Children think about food differently after reading this. The book ends with Ayo and Oma applying what they've learned in Grandma's kitchen — freezing, canning, sealing, preserving. It is a direct invitation for your child to ask questions the next time you open the fridge. Parents and educators report that reading Preservation Parkway transforms everyday moments in the kitchen into real science conversations.
STEM food science for ages 4–8. Biology, microbiology, and food chemistry — presented at exactly the right level for early childhood. Rich enough to stretch a curious 7-year-old. Simple enough to captivate a 4-year-old at bedtime.
Representation woven into the story, not added to it. STEM adventures with Black children at the center matter. Ayo and Oma are Black siblings on a culinary science journey guided by their grandmother. The diversity here is not a footnote — it is the story.
Part of the Yummville series. Yummville is a whole world. Preservation Parkway is one street. Each book in the Tales from Yummville series takes Ayo and Oma to a new corner of Yummville — uncovering the food science hiding in the everyday moments all around us.
PERFECT FOR:
- Children ages 4–8 who ask questions about food, science, and how things work
- Read-alouds before helping in the kitchen or visiting a farmer's market
- STEM and STEAM curriculum for Pre-K through 2nd grade
- Bedtime reading, classroom story time, and the school run
- Fans of Taste Trail and Bakery Boulevard ready for their next Yummville adventure
- Birthday gifts, holiday gifts, and gifts for the curious child in your life
Add to Cart to start the adventure with the children in your life.
Gold Shibi is a mother, aunt, and the creator of the Tales from Yummville children's book series. Inspired by the real questions and curiosity of the children in her life, she set out to make food science an adventure - one that puts kids in the driver's seat of their own discovery. Her STEM-powered picture books for ages 4-8 weave imagination and wonder into every page, giving young readers a world they want to explore and the confidence to ask "why." Tales from Yummville is her debut series.
