I recently responded to an inquiry from a teacher. She was looking for a fictional look at a farm. She needed the farm to be modern and she needed a book that would appeal to children in the primary grades. I suggested farming picture book Farm by Elisha Cooper
Farm is a detailed tribute to farming and the people who do it. Best-suited to children six and up, the descriptions include interesting details and description, “Everything grows in May. The corn shoots up, high as the girl’s knees. The rows look like wet hair just after it’s combed. The farmer combs the rows with the tractor, spraying fertilizer and pesticide. Then the rows grow together and the fields become an ocean of green. The farms are like islands on the ocean. The tractors are like boats.” From tilling the soil to harvesting the corn, we move through spring, summer, and fall and observe how the crops, jobs, equipment, weather, and chores change.
Additional materials in this farming picture book include a glossary of farm terminology
Did you know Storytime Standouts offers more than two hundred early childhood literacy downloads? You may be interested in some of our free printables to go along with this farming picture book.
Five Little Farmers
Use Five Little Farmers as a fingerplay or a felt board story in preschool, homeschool or kindergarten.
Max is a Little Monster in more ways than one. He not only looks like a monster, he behaves like one. He litters wherever he goes, he uses too much water and toilet paper in the bathroom and he forgets to turn the lights and tv off when he leaves the room. As well, he is greedy with his toys: even when he’s outgrown them, he keeps them all to himself. One evening, he is watching his favourite television show when there is a power failure. When Max goes outside, he surprised by what he sees and hears. In the moonlight, Max notices flowers blooming and he hears crickets and an owl. When Max sees a shooting star, the transformation to “green” is complete. and, even when the power is restored, Max notices the natural world and takes steps to make it better. He collects litter at the beach and learns to compost garden refuse. His wasteful bathroom habits change and he remembers to turn off lights. He decides, “fresh air feels good on my fur!” and is committed to recycling, eating healthy foods and trading toys with his friends. End notes in this eco friendly picture book include a glossary of terms used in the story I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle is an introductory resource and is best suited to children aged four to six.
Note: This 8″x8″ paperback book is printed on 100% post-consumer waste (Forest Stewardship Council certified) recycled paper with soy-ink.
Weaving together the story of a young black bear cub with that of chinook salmon, Fraser Bear: A Cub’s Life is both informative and engaging. The story begins in January when two sleepy young bear cubs seek nourishment from their mother. Many miles away, chinook salmon begin their journey from the Aleutian Islands to Fraser Bear’s birthplace in the Rocky Mountains. We watch as the young bear grows and matures, experiencing the snowy forest for the first time, seeking food, meeting an angry male bear, enjoying tasty blueberries and discovering a river filled with spawning salmon.
“One day, the mother leads her cubs to the river’s rocky shore. Fraser stares. the water is alive! it squirms. It wriggles, Fraser has never seen water like this before.”
Brimming with factual information, Fraser Bear is beautifully illustrated and will be enjoyed by youngsters aged five and up. Additional notes provide information about black bears and bear safety as well as chinook salmon. A glossary and map also support the text.
Note: Fraser Bear began life as “Fraser the Bear,” a plush souvenir for travellers on the Rocky Mountaineer. The tour company is a supporter of the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
When the Earth Wakes – written and illustrated by Ani Rucki
A lovely book for very young children, When the Earth Wakes invites readers to observe as spring arrives, the earth is awakened and a mother bear stretches with her young cub. We watch the snow melt and the two bears frolic in the sunshine and warm breeze. Before long it is summertime; butterflies, salmon, thunderstorms and starry nights change the natural landscape once again. When leaves begin to change and blueberries ripen, the two bears know it is time to prepare for winter. A lovely, gentle circular story about the changing seasons and our beautiful earth.
Striking coloured pencil illustrations make When the Earth Wakes well-suited to a read aloud setting.
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I recently responded to an inquiry from a teacher. She was looking for a fictional look at a farm. She needed the farm to be modern and she needed a book that would appeal to children in the primary grades. I suggested farming picture book Farm
Five Little Farmers
is an introductory resource and is best suited to children aged four to six.
is both informative and engaging. The story begins in January when two sleepy young bear cubs seek nourishment from their mother. Many miles away, chinook salmon begin their journey from the Aleutian Islands to Fraser Bear’s birthplace in the Rocky Mountains. We watch as the young bear grows and matures, experiencing the snowy forest for the first time, seeking food, meeting an angry male bear, enjoying tasty blueberries and discovering a river filled with spawning salmon.
invites readers to observe as spring arrives, the earth is awakened and a mother bear stretches with her young cub. We watch the snow melt and the two bears frolic in the sunshine and warm breeze. Before long it is summertime; butterflies, salmon, thunderstorms and starry nights change the natural landscape once again. When leaves begin to change and blueberries ripen, the two bears know it is time to prepare for winter. A lovely, gentle circular story about the changing seasons and our beautiful earth.
