Planting seeds for picture books with agricultural roots

 by Sue Heavenrich

 

  I love gardening. There’s something about the smell of fresh soil, dropping seeds into thumbprint holes, and the constant humming of bees and flies. Not only does my garden provide food for the table, but it serves as my science lab and recently inspired a book about pumpkins.  

 

 

 

Turns out a bunch of writing friends have their own garden-related books featuring cabbages, compost, nut trees and farm life – some of them award-winning titles! So I invited them over to the GROG today to relax in the shade, sip icy lemonade and chat about our books that celebrate agricultural connections. Since Chelsea's sitting right next to me, I'll start with her.

 

What inspired your story, and how did you decide to write it the way that you did?

Chelsea

Chelsea Tornetto (Seasons on the Farm): I grew up in rural southern Illinois with farm families on both sides, so the topic itself was very familiar to me.  At first, I thought it might be an overdone topic...seasons are a common theme in children's books, as are farms!  But I realized that the combination of the two allowed me to highlight how farmers see the seasons through a much more purposeful lens than "regular" people.  For them, being tuned in to even the most subtle signs of the changing seasons is essential to their success and their livelihood.  So, I decided to focus on that and help show kids who may not be familiar with rural life how the changing seasons are about more than just snow days and spring flowers.  

Peggy Thomas (The Soil in Jackie’s Garden): I had wanted to write about soil for a long time because I’m fascinated by all the magical things that happen underground. I struggled to find the right story structure until one day while I was teaching a writing class. I reminded my students that rather than reinvent the wheel they could try using one of the many traditional story structures like “The House That Jack Built.”  The moment I said it I knew it would be perfect for showing how everything begins and ends with soil. It’s the first time I took my own advice.  

Roxanne Troup  (My Grandpa, My Tree, and Me): While researching, I ran across a YouTube video of a farmer harvesting pecans and was thunderstruck by their methods. I grew up in a farming community and had some experience with agriculture and pecans, but no one I knew harvested pecans by tractor. And I had never considered how all those pecans would sound or look like falling from the tree like rain! It was dusty and noisy and not at all the way my family gathered pecans. This dichotomy provided the structure for the informational element of my book—comparing commercial pecan harvesting with at-home production—but I needed a story mechanism that could making interesting information meaningful. I needed heart. While brainstorming, the phrase, “But not my tree,” popped into my head and I immediately knew an intergenerational family would provide the necessary story wrappings (a.k.a. “heart”) for this tale.

Karen Greenwald (The Cabbage Seed’s Colossal Secret): The stories that grab my attention often involve an unlikely hero/es. When I found out about the nine-year-old girl who chose to give a local soup kitchen a 40-pound cabbage she grew, then started a charity to encourage children nationwide to do the same, it was an instant click—exactly the kind of story that I like to put a spotlight on. I often think good stories tell you who they are and how they want to be written. To me, taking a circular approach felt powerful. I wanted it to reflect the growing cycle, the giving cycle, and the sharing cycle this child initiated.

Sue, with Jarrahdale pumpkin

Me: The Pie that Molly Grew started as a response to a challenge from Susanna Leonard Hill. Write about pies, she said. I listed all the kinds of pies I’d ever heard of and circled pumpkin, which is my favorite. And I jotted down a line: this is the pie that Molly made. That line stuck in my head like an earworm, pestering me until I planted my pumpkin seeds and realized that it might be a book about how a seed no bigger than a penny can grow into a long, tangly vine that produces an abundance of pumpkins. 

So, do we all garden? Or tend to plants in some fashion?

Peggy: I love gardening, but I love wildlife even more, so I’m slowly replacing non-native flowers and shrubs with ones that grew in my area before Europeans arrived. These native plants like coneflower, milkweed and spicebush are the plants that insects, birds and other animals rely on, but they are disappearing due to habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, etc. I can’t do much about the bigger picture, but I can make a difference at home by turning my yard into a little nature sanctuary.

Roxanne: I live in a high-altitude, semi-arid, suburban area; so what I can grow is limited. To make the most of our resources and provide pollinators with what they need, I focus on native flower gardens/landscape plants, herb gardening, and container gardens for my veggies. (I also have a variety of house plants—including an avocado tree, currently in need of a larger pot, that my son grew as a science experiment in middle school.)

Roxanne

Karen: I wish I could garden in my yard but as I look out the window most days (when I probably should be focused on my computer screen), the number of deer grazing in my yard is striking. Every time we've planted flowers, they were snipped at the bud. So, I am more of a viewer of nature!

Chelsea: I have a bit of a black thumb, but my husband is a huge gardener, and most of our backyard is covered in garden beds.  (see pic).  While I don't do the work, I certainly enjoy the fruits of his labor!  We have strawberries, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, onions, figs, peas, and much, much more.  He also keeps my flowers alive for me!  :)  As shown in my first picture book, GARDENS ARE FOR GROWING, our kids have grown up in the garden, and I love watching them pick produce, help water, and just generally enjoy the outdoors with their Dad.  

Me: Every time I plant pumpkin seeds, I marvel how this humble fruit has fed families for thousands of years.  I cannot remember a Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie. So I knew I had to include that connection of giving thanks for the earth and the sun, the rain and the seed, the flowers and the bees, and the gardeners and farmers who grow the food we eat.

What sort of connections did you want to emphasize in your book?  

Karen

Karen: I love a story where a community is formed, and where that community finds an unlikely or unimagined way to solve a problem. In this case, children all over the country have joined together, without even knowing each other, to make a dent in the food crisis. It’s a type of community that can grow exponentially, impacting an untold number of people’s lives. To me, that’s an incredible outcome. I also love that it teaches children to plant themselves somewhere or in something and nurture what they’re growing in both the Earth and within themselves—and as they increase their garden, hopefully their compassion, talents, and interest in protecting our environment will expand as well.

Chelsea: As I mentioned earlier, both sides of my family are farmers, and one thing I've realized over the years is how unique farming is as a job.  Other kids I knew growing up had parents who worked specific hours, had to schedule their "vacation" days, complained about their bosses, etc.  But a farm, as a family business, is more like a big, never-ending family project, and daily life is woven more naturally into the "job." The whole family has to work together and rely on each other to succeed...and it forces you to depend on each other more...which can build really close relationships.  There's also a special sense of pride in a family farm that's often been passed down from generation to generation.  A family farm more than just a source of income.  It's a part of your history.  I really love that.  

Peggy: It was important that my book be more than just planting a seed and harvesting a watermelon. That agricultural part of the story exists within and because of the larger web of organisms working to aerate the soil, release nutrients, pollinate flowers, and decompose dead things. Severing those connections weakens the entire system.

Roxanne: Like gardens, families come in all shapes and sizes. And family—whether the one we’re born into or the one we choose for ourselves—gives us roots. It provides us with support and fuels our growth. Even as families change (as gardens do throughout the seasons) the love we share doesn’t run out. It may look different in different seasons of life, but it is still there nurturing and supporting us.

Me: One of the things I hope readers take away from reading The Pie That Molly Grew is how a single plant can be part of a web that connects sun and soil, flowers and bees, and the food we eat. I hope it inspires kids to plant a seed, whether it’s pumpkin or carrots or spinach for their salads.

What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Peggy

Peggy: I hope that, after reading The Soil in Jackie’s Garden, young readers will want to be part of the soil cycle. It is so easy to do. By creating a compost pile, they become just as impactful as all the other animals working in the garden. Plus, it is so much fun to poke around in the compost and watch food scraps disappear.

Chelsea: I hope kids who aren't familiar with farm life will gain a new understanding of and respect for the lifestyle I show in Seasons on the Farm. I also hope that farm kids who read my books will see themselves and their lives reflected on the pages.  

Roxanne: When they reach the last page of My Grandpa, My Tree, and Me, I hope kids have learned more about where our food comes from – and the incredible about of work required to produce their favorite snacks. I also hope that they pick up on the subtle message that familial love, like the pecan tree, grows with time and care.

Karen: I hope readers, young and older, take away a sense of empowerment from The Cabbage Seed’s Colossal Secret, and a realization that, while there are great problems for us to solve, they can help be a part of positive change. Every tiny seed planted is another opportunity to make a difference!

Me: Thanks everyone. My glass is empty, so that means it’s time to head back to weeding – or writing.

You can find out more about our roundtable guests - and their books - by visiting their websites:

Chelsea minds the farm at chelseatornetto.com
Peggy turns compost at www.peggythomaswrites.com    

Roxanne sits in the shade of pecan trees at www.roxannetroup.com
Karen turns small seeds into giant stories at www.karengreenwald.com
Sue dreams about pie at www.sueheavenrich.com

TIMELY THANKSGIVING TITLES by Sherri Jones Rivers

      Fall is a wonderful, refreshing time of the year and especially the Thanksgiving season and all it means to friends and family. Lots of great children's books are out there that celebrate the season. I contacted the children's librarian, Heather McCue, in Columbia, SC, at the Richland County Library. They have a fabulous, up-to-date collection of kidlit books. She was gracious enough to send me a list of the more popular books in her downtown library. She broke them down into three categories--Families and Food, Gratitude, and Thanksgiving. I decided to pick two from each group. You may have your own favorites, but maybe you will add some of these to your list.

                                                              FAMILIES AND FOOD

All for Pie, Pie for all by David Martin.

This  is a cute book with whimsical illustrations that are detailed and denote a warm and cozy feeling. An especially good book for preschoolers that features animals--cats, mice, and ants. Each group feasts on the Thanksgiving pie leftovers, with the ants finishing the last crumbs. I could see children joining in on the repeated phrases--Little brother ate a piece, big sister ate a piece, momma cat ate a piece, poppa cat ate a piece and Grandma cat ate a piece. Once the pie is gone, hunger sets in and with a joint effort from the cats, the mice and the ants, a fresh pie is produced--this time it's blueberry.

Grandma's Tiny House by Janay Brown Wood 

This is a sweet story I think children can relate to. Even

though social distancing seems to be in order for now, they can remember times of big family get-togethers and

can look forward to more in the future. The cast of diverse characters gives children their place in the book. The rhyme draws you in and it's nice to have a counting book that goes past the number ten. There is always something new in the illustrations that the reader may not have noticed before. The young reader will be excited to see that a child has the solution for the too-full house.

                                                                      GRATITUDE

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorrell.

This book rings true because Traci's mom was a part of the Cherokee nation, and Traci herself lives within that nation. The book starts with fall, since that represents the Cherokee New Year, and goes through each season with bright and colorful illustrations of everyday things that are celebrated. This book is good for all ages and introduces Cherokee culture in a charming and relatable way. For added interest, the illustrator decided to put a pileated woodpecker in each spread so the reader would have something to look forward to.

Gracias Thanks by Pat Moira 

A young Mexican/Caucasian boy shares everyday things to be grateful for. The acrylic illustrations by John Parra are full of fun details that pop with color and vibrancy. From the moment he wakes up to the bright sunshine's warmth until he goes to bed to the sound of chirping crickets, he gives thanks for the things and people in his life. The poetic writing on each page gives us the Spanish version of what's being said. (I got to practice my Spanish) This bilingual book would be a great read-aloud for classroom story time. The author's endnote challenges the reader to make a list of what he's thankful for.

                                                                    THANKSGIVING

One is a Feast for Mouse by Judy Cox.

What a fun book with lively and engaging illustrations. Mouse peeps out of his hidey hole and spies the leftovers of a big Thanksgiving feast. One green pea catches his eye and seems to be the perfect feast for one little mouse. Or is it? Reading the online reviews, I especially liked one idea of a home-schooling mom who concocted a sequencing activity. She traced the  mouse and drew a picture of each food that he adds to his stack. The kids colored and cut out the mouse, along with the foods. Then, she had them recall the foods added and glue each item  in order, just like in the book. Maybe some other families would like to try this idea.

I Know an Old Woman who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson 

Lots of versions of the "Old Lady" stories exist, but this one is perfectly suited for a Thanksgiving read. Things that might show up on the readers' table are mentioned here--pie, turkey, squash, salad, rolls, etc. The illustrations are whimsical and chaotically fun, getting more and more ridiculous. The ending is clever as she is finally big enough to be a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. In a review, one mother said she made a cardboard cut-out of the old lady, cut out a stomach, and let the kids draw and color their favorite foods to "feed" her with. Cute idea for a theme-related activity.

Some other books you might want to add to your list are Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson, and Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller. Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!