The Foodbank’s CEO and Anti-Hunger Activist Erik Talkin announces the release of two exciting new children’s books focused on food advocacy. Jesse and the Snack Food Genie and Frankie versus the Food Phantom offer young readers engaging stories while providing essential lessons in healthy eating and sustainable food systems. The publications reflect Talkin’s 22-year mission to end hunger and raise awareness about nutrition. Talkin has held the title of CEO for the past 15 years at the county’s leading hunger relief organization, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
Talkin’s captivating tales, tailored for readers ages 7-10, join his acclaimed first book in the Food Justice Books for Kids series, Lulu and the Hunger Monster, released in 2020. The world Talkin shows is rooted in his more than two decades of experience in advocating for food security. It is a world where the author’s protagonists are caught in the struggle of living paycheck to paycheck, where a broken-down vehicle can plunge a mother and daughter into short-term food insecurity. While the characters face adversity, they also experience love, ingenuity and supporting communities.
In Jesse and the Snack Food Genie, Jesse begins to make connections between the foods the Genie wants him to eat, and how it makes him feel. As the Genie shows up everywhere and to everyone, Jesse decides to fight back. The books echo the teachings of the Foodbank’s nutrition education programs, which start at the three-year-old level and go up to age 55 and above. Frankie versus the Food Phantom examines food systems and connects to people’s focus on sustainable food cultivation, much like our Backyard Bounty program,” says Talkin, a Foodbank initiative where volunteers glean produce from backyards, gardens, farms, and orchards then redistribute them to thosin the community who face hunger.
The Foodbank has been recognized for its innovative approach to fighting childhood hunger through food literacy and client empowerment with several awards. In 2011 and 2012, the Foodbank was awarded the ‘Child Nutrition Program of the Year’ from Feeding America for its Healthy School Pantry and Kid’s Farmers Market programs, respectively. Both programs have also won Feeding America’s national ‘Hunger’s Hope’ Award for the Best Children’s Nutrition Program of the Year. In 2018, the Foodbank was recognized as the Youth Agency of the Year by the City of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Teen Coalition.
Talkin’s books, which include information on the food systems, its challenges and what we can do to improve it are receiving positive reviews from his health and community advocate counterparts.
“Erik Talkin illustrates kids’ real struggles in a society where the healthy food choice isn’t often the easiest choice. This important read will help children consider how foods make their bodies feel. Grab a healthy snack and dig into Jesse’s story!” –Amber Stott, CEO & Chief Food Genius, Food Literacy Center.
“Talkin tosses a seed ball of new ideas into our hands, prompting us to explore the origin of the food system-and sprouting hope that we can repair what’s been broken and neglected” –Sigrid Wright, CEO, Community Environmental Council.
The books can be purchased for $16 on the Foodbank website at foodbanksbc.org/shop/. Eight dollars from the sale of each book goes directly to support the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
On Saturday, October 2
1, Talkin will be one of seven authors presenting his books at the Santa Barbara County Education Office’s 71st annual Breakfast with the Authors. This year’s theme – “Literary Landscapes: The Role of Setting in Storytelling & Identity” – centers around how the setting an author chooses for a story can influence their characters’ identities. Register to attend by Monday, October 16, 2023 at: www.sbceo.org/breakfast. Space is limited to allow for personal interaction with the authors and illustrators, so register early. Tickets are $16 for students (grades 4-12) and $20 for the general public. The price includes breakfast. On October 28, Erik will be the feature keynote speaker at Feed the Children’s regional advocacy conference in Des Moines Iowa.
