Evie’s Kitchen Book Review

Last night I dived into Evie’s Kitchen – Raising an Ecstatic Child. It was even better than I imagined when I anxiously ordered it a few weeks back.

If you have been living in the raw food world for any length of time you most likely have heard of Shazzie. She is a raw food guru who lives in England and Evie is her adorable daughter. The book Evie’s Kitchen is her story as a raw child and it is truly a magical book. I particularly enjoyed it as I have a daughter who is only a couple months older than Evie…I kept thinking I wish we lived in England so they could be playmates.

The book chronicles what it is like in full detail to raise raw kids…the joys, the struggles, the need for supplementation, etc. It is also a book about natural and attached mothering as Evie was breastfed for 4 years, co-slept, was worn in a sling, never given a vaccine, and was treated in a manner respectful of her nature. Unschooling is even mentioned in the book. It really was like finding the diary of an admirable natural mom and child and following them on a journey from birth to age 4. I loved that Evie is being allowed to grow up wild and carefree and getting the best possible nutritional start. I thought I put a lot of effort into child nutrition but this book schooled me.

Shazzie did not try to make herself look like the perfect mom either. She talked about depression, yelling at Evie in moments of weakness, fights she got into with Evie’ father, and nutritional mistakes she made that she learned from. Seeing that other side of her coupled with the amazing way she and Evie are together, fully chronicled with hundreds of pictures, was a rare treasure. The photos are gorgeous, the many recipes sound and look delicious, and Evie really captures your heart… a true child of the wild…so beautiful. If only all children could have a small piece of that.

I highly recommend all moms read this gem… especially if you are a natural, attached parent and want to get the perspective of someone successfully living those principles. It is a great read for moms of little girls too.

The nutritional information about supplementation and raising raw kids is great for raw families as well. Enjoy!