Thank a Farmer

Rooted in gratitude, this educational title explains in simple yet comprehensive terms how animal products and foods move from farm to table. Narrating in free verse, Gianferrari succinctly compresses complex farming, production, and supply chain processes into easy-to-follow lines, inviting readers to learn about the origins of bread, cereal with milk, salad and veggies, and other favorites. For each food highlighted ("If you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches"), simple lines detail their journey to the table ("Peanut pods/ Grow underground./ Diggers pull up plants, / Shake off soil"), ending in a sensory descriptive phrase ("Creamy and crunchy"). Mikai's textural illustrations feature a Black family enjoying farmed products, flanked by lush fields, orchards, and harvests, and variously diverse depictions of the many individuals whose labors lead to every mouthful. Endnotes offer more about various farming methods. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Gr 1-3--Kids rarely know where their food grows or how it is prepared for them before it hits their table. This book shows the intricate path of the food delivery system that brings the goods to their kitchens. The story is written in a rhythmic way and highlights some new and interesting vocabulary. The illustrator uses a colorful palette to represent the richness of green vegetables, bright red of strawberries, sunny yellow of lemons, blue of berries, clay-colored earth, and all the natural colors in between. The story is informative and fun, and the back matter is sizable, with plentiful resources for further research or guided study. Books that eloquently address the genesis of everyday things are few and far between. Harriet Ziefert's A New Coat for Anna details all the steps Anna's mother takes to construct a coat. Marguerita Rudolph's How a Shirt Grew in the Field also comes to mind. Young readers will be intrigued by Gianferrari's offering. VERDICT An excellent book for elementary readers that will surprise them as they turn each page, and a must for the nonfiction shelves.--Joan Kindig