Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Up We Grow!: A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm
Photographer: Brian Harris
Nonfiction
For ages 5 to 7
Kids Can Press, 2010 ISBN: 978-1554535613
We are going to visit a farm in the country to explore what happens on a farm during the year. The farm we are going to visit is a cooperative farm where farmers own the land together and share the work that needs to be done. There is always work that needs to be done because farms are busy places all year long.
In the spring, grass starts growing again, baby animals come into the world, and farmers plow fields and get ready for planting time.
In the summer months there are fruits and vegetables that need to be picked and cleaned to send to the farmer’s market. The farmers on the cooperative farm come together to celebrate “their hard work and the beautiful bounty of the farm.” They cook and eat together, and then they play games, make music, and dance.
In fall the farmers harvest the last of the fruits and vegetables such as pumpkins, apples, and squashes. They collect seeds for planting in the spring, and prepare the fields for the winter.
Though winter is a quieter time on the farm, the farmers and their families are still busy. The repair their machines, fix buildings and fences, and prune the fruit trees. They also start to plan what they are going to plant in the spring.
This delightful book will give young readers an interesting picture of what it is like to work on a farm as the seasons unfold. They will come to appreciate how vital farms are, and they will see that though the work is hard, it is also rewarding and uplifting at the same time. There is something very special about nurturing plants and animals and connecting with the soil and the seasons.
