Paula Simpson, age 8, of Santa Ttaria, California, for her question:

Is it true that rhubarb leaves are poisonous?

Yes, this is true. This is why rye eat only the thick juicy stems of the rhubarb plant. The big green leafy umbrellas are down right dangerous. They have a nasty bitter taste so hardly anybody is tempted to eat them by accident. The nasty taste is caused by a strong acid. In tiny doses it does not do much harm. But in rhubarb leaves there is enough of this bitter acid to be deadly dangerous.

It is safe to eat the stems in the spring, when the growing rhubarb is young. It's all right to have a few helpings of the cooked stalks in April day and June. But after June, some of the nasty acid creeps into the stalks. Then it's time to forget the rhubarb until next spring. But never never never eat those big rhubarb leaves.