Tanya Landman’s ‘Mary’s Penny’ and Michael Garland’s ‘Grandpa’s Tractor’ charm as picture books down on the farm
Written by admin on June 9, 2011 – 8:35 amTanya Landman’s ‘Mary’s Penny’ and Michael Garland’s ‘Grandpa’s Tractor’ charm as picture books down on the farm
Kathy Englehart
My grandchildren are city slickers. They like the subway, the noise and tumult. The next time they visit Ohio, I plan to take them to a farm. We’ll prepare with some good new picture books.
Mary’s Penny
Tanya Landman & Richard Holland
Back in the olden days, a farmer tried to decide which of his sons should inherit his land. He asked each of them to fill the house with what could be bought with a mere penny. One bought straw; the other brought feathers. Both failed. When Mary, the farmer’s daughter, asked for a penny, the farmer was certain the girl would do no better. But she surprised her father by filling the house with light and music, bringing knowledge and joy to all. She inherited the farm, which prospered and flourished. A humorous feminist fable, finely written and beautifully illustrated. Grade: A-
Grandpa’s Tractor
Michael Garland
Grandpa Joe and Timmy take a drive to the farm where Grandpa grew up, “sold long ago but still something there to see.” First they glimpse the boarded-up farmhouse and a faded red barn with its roof collapsed. Then they discover “the most important thing a farmer owns,” the old family tractor. As the old man describes his boyhood, Timmy imagines what those days — green rolling hills, animals grazing, baskets of apples — in lovely digital paintings, which perfectly depict a family farm of yesterday. The text reads quite smoothly, nostalgic without being schmaltzy. Excellent intergenerational storytelling. Grade: B+
The Cow Loves Cookies
Karma Wilson & Marcellus Hall
All of Farmer’s animals love to eat. They munch chicken feed, hay, sweet cracked corn. But not the cow: She loves cookies. Why? Because “she and farmer made a deal, and every day they share a meal.” So Farmer supplies the cookies, cow supplies the milk and they happily dunk to their hearts’ content. The jaunty rhythm of the rhyming text will have listeners bouncing along happily. The winning watercolors are outlined in heavy black line and set into plenty of white space for easy reading. The last page hints at a sequel because “The duck loves quackers.” Grade: B +
My Farm Friends
Wendell Minor
Minor draws upon his rural Illinois farm upbringing to introduce the furry, feathered and woolly creatures on the farm. His painterly use of texture, light and color showcase his strong artistry. The large gouache-and-watercolor illustrations fill up the pages beautifully as they depict life on an old-fashioned yet timeless farm. Writing does not come as easily. The rhyming text describing common farm animals is playful, but sometimes a tad awkward and forced. That said, the overall package is worth looking at because of the exceptional artwork. “Farm Friend Fun Facts” and a list of Internet sources appended. Grade: B
Blue Goose
Nancy Tafuri
Granddaughter Evelyn, just turned 2, only knows the color is blue. Perhaps this book will introduce a few new ones as she watches a yellow chick, a red hen, a blue goose and a white duck paint their drab farmyard into a rainbow. They even mix primary colors to create new hues. Turn the book sideways as they color the sun and watch Blue Goose transform the whole world into twilight blue. Lush gouache colors are added gradually to build excitement. A simple but clever concept book, republished this year into a sturdy board book just right for rambunctious toddlers. Grade: B
Kathy Englehart is a critic and librarian at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
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