Farm

Cooper, Elisha. 2010. FARM. New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 9780545070751 [Suggested Grade Levels K-5]

REVIEW
The busy days of life on a farm take the reader through the changing seasons and activities with a family that lives and works there. Lyrical text and realistic art portray the daily chores, the animals, and the work in the fields that takes place on a modern farm. The farmer uses his cell phone to call a friend for repairs, checks his yield on the computer, and works the farm with current equipment. As the work ebbs and flows in relation to the seasons, typical activities that accompany farming take place, giving children a down-to-earth look at life on a working farm today. The onset of winter closes the book on a quiet note following the busy early start in spring.

Watercolor and pencil drawings illustrate the wide spreads and break up the text into readable chunks. The small pictures that depict the actions and activities taking place give an intimate picture of the farm and the larger landscape spread of the book gives the feeling of the expanse of a large, working farm. A glossary introduces the title page. Without a saccharine point of view, this book shows farm life as it is today.

CONNECTIONS
Read ON THE FARM, a collection of poetry about farm animals. Then choose a spread from FARM and have the children write a poem about that aspect of farm life or an animal of their choice. Share the poems.

RELATED BOOKS
Other books for children about farms and farm life:
Elliott, David. ON THE FARM. ISBN 073633224
Provensen, Alice. THE YEAR AT MAPLE HILL FARM. ISBN 9780689845000
Rosen, Michael J. OUR FARM: FOUR SEASON WITH FIVE KIDS ON ONE FAMILY’S FARM. ISBN 9781581960679

By Shirley S. Duke