When Ben’s brother, Noah, hesitates to eat his fruit and vegetables, Ben tells his brother about a happy family of fruits and vegetables that can help to keep him healthy and growing. Ben the Storyteller weaves a tale in Apples, Oranges, Beans and Peas, Dancing Doggies and Singing Bees and opens Noah’s eyes to a world where apples and oranges sing, the doggies dance, and the bees buzz around frolicking peas.

There are many lessons to be learned in Apples, Oranges, Beans and Peas, Dancing Doggies and Singing Bees. The fruits and vegetables must learn to get along with each other and the entire orchard community. It is only when they get along in a family as part of a balanced diet that they can help children like Ben and Noah stay healthy. Everyone must learn to be kind and to eat their fruits and vegetables.

Written in rhymes accompanied by delightful illustrations, Apples, Oranges, Beans and Peas, Dancing Doggies and Singing Bees can be read as a book or performed as a play for the enjoyment of the whole family or classroom.

"Jean Cutler has spent nearly half a lifetime bringing “Apples, Oranges, Beans and Peas, Dancing Doggies and Singing Bees,” her story of optimism, tolerance and community, to fruition. It started as an ambitious musical television play, complete with a chorus of talented singers and dancers. When her grandchildren reached a certain age she saw that they were natural storytellers and she felt their stories should be shared with other children and families. With this, she created “Ben the Storyteller,” a unique and intimate portrait of two brothers sharing their vision of a world where everyone learns to share and work together for the benefit of all. The book is a throwback to a time when families would sit together, not around a television set or computer screen, but around a much-loved book, where everyone had a voice and a part to play. A time when lessons were shared among all members of the family, through role-playing, singing and simply having fun. Ms. Cutler takes us back to this moment, reminding us that nothing replaces the family unit, and there is hope for people around the world as long as they listen to their neighbors and learn to practice unconditional love. These important lessons start at home, with books like this."
--L.A. Times bestselling author Stephen Jay Schwartz