An Orange in January

Pint-sized consumers follow an orange as it travels from blossom to truck to store and finally to lunch box in this look at how we get a taste of sunshine in the midst of wintry weather. After pollination by bees, the orange grows, “fed by the earth’s soil and the ocean’s breath.” With lots of rain and sunshine, it is ready to be picked by a suntanned hand. From there, it’s shipped across long distances to grocery stores, until it’s chosen by a small boy (whose round face echoes the shape of the fruit). Its final destination is his lunch box. At recess, he shares the pieces with his friends, “so that everyone could taste the sweetness of an orange in January.” Maren’s acrylics perfectly capture the land of sunshine and oranges; readers’ mouths will water in anticipation. A good springboard for discussing food’s origins for the youngest listeners. (Picture book. 3-6)

PreS-Gr 1. This poetic tale about the path an orange takes to the store begins in a grove near the sea. When the fruit is ripe, "a hand, brown with seasons of sun, plucked it from its branch, while dew still glittered on the leaves." Then, it is packed up and trucked off to a faraway grocery store, where it is carefully chosen by a boy wearing a red turtleneck sweater, a hat, and mittens. He plays with the orange on the way home, imagining himself a juggler and a baseball pitcher. The last spread shows him sharing his treat with friends as they play outdoors and snowflakes fall. Like the text, the glowing acrylic paintings are artfully simple and make beautiful use of color. Even the youngest listeners will gain awareness that food doesn't magically spring into being on the shelves of markets."Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL" Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.