Anywhere Farm

This pleasant look at gardening in a city setting reflects a growing trend. (Picture book. 4-7)

This picture book beautifully blends effortless rhyming text with soft-hued mixed-media illustrations to encourage young gardeners to start growing something--anywhere...The ending suggests that all it takes is one farmer and one anywhere farm to encourage other gardeners--which just might result in a community everywhere farm. A great read-aloud for aspiring gardeners and farmers.

Even children who live in dense urban environments can become small-scale farmers; all they need, Root (One North Star) explains, is "soil and sunshine,/ some water, a seed." A neglected alley is the setting several children choose to start their planting efforts, and Root's upbeat verse offers playful guidance to readers, using questions ("Where can you plant your anywhere farm?") and rhyming responses ("An old empty lot/ makes a good growing plot./ But a pan or a bucket,/ a pot or a shoe,/ a bin or a tin/ or a window will do." Karas's (A Hat for Mrs. Goldman) smudgy mixed-media art warmly shows a community coming together as citizens young and old join in, building to the unveiling of a neighborhood garden/market. It's a cheery celebration of community and the hands-on joys of gardening. Ages 2-5. Illustrator's agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Mar.)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1--"You can grow your own farm anywhere" is the empowering message of this inclusive picture book. All you need are soil, sun, water, and a seed. You can plant a farm in an empty lot, a pot, a box, or even a shoe. You can share your seeds with others to spread the food and fun. With cheerful rhyming text and illustrations depicting a diverse group of young farmers, including wheelchair users, this book is sure to find a place in group storytimes as well as in the laps of parents. The text is educational without being dry. Children will get a brief introduction to plants--what a seed needs to grow, what kinds of plants grow from seeds, and what kinds of creatures, such as butterflies and bees, visit them. The text addresses the five W's--who, what, when, where, and why--in a jaunty manner. The mixed-media illustrations include a satisfying amount of detail while retaining a child-friendly sketchiness. The neighborhood scenes add to the sense of community-building reinforced here. VERDICT This must-have picture book will be especially beneficial for school units on plants and seeds and for library storytimes with a spring or gardening theme.--Suzanne LaPierre, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The diverse cast features a variety of skin colors as well as an infant-toting dad, a man in a wheelchair, and a bunch of pets; the group includes active children, old people content just to sit in a chair in the sunshine, and everyone in between. Inspiring and empowering; friendly and inviting.
—The Horn Book

Such a treasure is Phyllis Root...In her latest, told in kicky rhyme, she celebrates the simple joy of planting a seed anywhere and watching it grow.
—Star Tribune

This would be a nice read aloud to kick off a unit on seeds and plants, particularly in communities where green space is not common, and would be a fun book for budding gardeners everywhere.
—School Library Connection