Kids’ book no baloney

The subject of obesity among schoolchildren and the health problems associated with unhealthy eating has a new spokesperson: Samantha.
Actually, it’s Tina Powell, award-winning author of the kids’ book, Samantha’s Silly-icious Sandwiches.
Powell puts on something of a variety show, including a reading from her book. She hams it up to whet young appetites for healthier food, and one of her latest stops was at the Sacred Heart School in Bayside.
She served up Samantha’s story to an assembly at the school, at 216-01 38th Avenue on Tuesday, October 7, as part of a national tour sponsored by Boar’s Head, the provision company recognizable by their red and black delivery wagons, seen on New York streets for a century.
Samantha is tired of boring lunches and takes matters into her own hands to create tasty, healthy, “silly-icious” alternatives - such as a Smoked-Turkey-Swiss-Cheese-and-Spaghetti Sandwich with Honey Mustard and Spinach.
A spaghetti sandwich may sound silly, but that’s the point. To back it up, Powell and the company distributes free copies of the book at her stops.
She also feeds the kids’ minds, with a peek inside an “Imagination Box,” which gives a demonstration of how a book is created from story idea to publication.
Back to the central subject of healthy eating habits, Powell engages her audience in an interactive Food Pyramid game.
According to the company, “Boar’s Head is committed to providing families with healthy, nutritious eating alternatives.” They take pride in the fact that their products contain no artificial flavors, colors or trans fat.
They find Powell’s book “a good fit with [our] outreach program.” After all, sandwiches are key to their business.
The public can also get free copies of Samantha’s Silly-icious Sandwiches by going to www.brown-bagging.com.