Using the Spanish alphabet as a template, Ada has written 27 poems that celebrate both the bounty of the harvest and the Mexican heritage of the farmworkers and their familiesetc. Silva's sun-drenched gouache paintings are robust, with images sculpted in paint. Brimming with respect and pride, the book, with its mythic vision of the migrant farm worker, will add much to any unit on farming or Mexican American heritage.

The writer and illustrator grew up on an Iowa farm in the 1930s as the "age of the horse" was giving way to the "age of the tractor." Detailed sketches and color drawings illustrate the work involve - walking through the spring mud from barn to barn carrying a bucket of feed, a birds' eye view of the farmstead, cleaning oat seed with a hand powered fanning mill, planting corn behind a team of horses, milking a cow the old fashioned way, the details of a cream separator, threshers at harvest time and much more. Artley describes the hard work but also the fun. It is a touching book written with love and realism describing a lifestyle that has passed by.

The schoolmaster says nine-year-old Benjamin is the finest student he's ever seen - fit for more than farming; destined for great things someday. But his father's grave illness brings Ben home,from school and compels him to strive for something great right now - to do the one thing that will please Father so much he'll want to live. But first Ben must convince his older sister and brother to work with him. And together, they succeed in ways they never dreamed possible.

A busy barn comes to life through a series of invigorating torn-paper collages. "Wake up, Big Barn!" A large red rooster, set against an expanse of white, cock-a-doodle-doos across a two-page spread. Other animals are introduced: the mule hee-haws; the cow moos; the pigs, enjoying a mud bath, oink. Other farm elements are noisy, too - the tractor chugs, and the cherries ping as they fall to the ground. The book follows activities on the farm through the day.

Ben lives on a farm with cows, horses and his dog. Jody lives in the city, surrounded by skyscrapers and crowded buses. Each spread shows Ben and his environment on the left and Jody and her surroundings on the right. Text describes daily activities. Near the end the two meet at camp and become friends.

Georgie Lee is Grandma's cow, a smart cow, surprising J. D. with how cleverly she gets rid of pesky flies. She's good at escaping her pasture, ending up on Grandma's porch eating ears of fresh corn out of a bowl. And she's the ghost that startles Grandma and J.D. as they explore an abandoned house. But best of all, she's the reason elderly neighbor Effie is saved after a fall leaves her stranded in a field.

From the bull to the barn cat to the wild bunny, the farmyard bustles with life. The rooster crows, the rams clash, the bees buzz, and over there in the garden, a snake — silent and alone — winds and watches. David Elliott's graceful, simple verse and Holly Meade's exquisite woodcut and watercolor illustrations capture a world that is at once timeless yet disappearing from view — the world of the family farm.

Brightly painted and collaged alphabet is also a homage to state fairs everywhere.

Amid the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, Leah's father is faced with the loss of the family farm and puts his farm and equipment up for auction, but Leah comes up with the money by selling her beloved pony.

Beginning with details about mowing, drying and tromping hay, the narrative moves on to explain the haystack's important purposes: to provide food, and a shelter from the wind, for cows during the winter; during warmer weather, to serve as a resting and feeding place for pigs. In return, the animals' manure is used as fertilizer for the next year's hay, thus continuing the cycle.

Paul Graves is coming of age during a time when horses and carriages shared roads with Model Ts, and new technology changed old ways of doing things. His father calls the new invention of pasteurization nothing but a fad . . . until one day a fever strikes Paul's sister, and his family learns a hard lesson about the need to balance change and tradition.

A poem cycle that reads as a novel, "Out of the Dust" tells the story of Billie Jo, a girl who struggles to help her family survive the dustbowl years of the Depression. Fighting against the elements on her Oklahoma farm, Billie Jo takes on even more responsibilities when her mother dies in a tragic accident.

Heartwarming photos invite children into the world of a small, cooperative farm over four seasons. Readers get to know the hardworking farmers as they plow, plant, compost, mulch, harvest and market fruits and vegetables and care for animals.

Ten-year-old city-dweller Emma spends a summer with Aunt Ada and Uncle Will at Sunnyside Farm. Years later, Emma raises her own family at the same farm.

Ten-year-old Frank Russell is left to run his family's small farm when his father and brother go off to fight in the Civil War.

A fence is an obvious choice for demonstating farm patterns, as are rows of crops, but what about tractor tire treads? These are but a few of the techniques employed to aid the reader in discovering patterns in real life. Once patterns are simply defined, the text takes the reader on a colorful romp through the world of farming to find field and fence, machine and farm animal, actually helping them build foundational math skills.

A look at a Wisconsin dairy farm owned by the same family for four generations. The current owner tells the story and weaves family history into the descriptions of early day operations. While the author details the many changes that have taken place in the past century, readers are also reminded that many things remain the same. Vintage sepia photos of the farm and Peterson's grandparents as well as good-quality, full-color contemporary photos enhance the text. Interesting captions add even more information.

In January, the cows stay in the barnyard, and the chickens don't lay many eggs. By March, you can tell spring is coming: the barn is filled with baby animals. Month by month, the animals at Maple Hill Farm sense the changing seasons and respond to the changes.

After her grandparents move from Maine to California, they send Lily a box of oranges. From February's maple syrup, March's pea planting, and April's daffodils to fall harvest and December's tree hunt, the child goes through the seasons on the farm, thinking about the activities she used to share with them. Finally, the Christmas tree is decorated with the help of her grandparents, who are back for the holidays. Each spread includes a box with relevant information, such as how to make syrup, pumpkin lore, and recipes for blueberry pancakes and zucchini bread.

Told through the voices of the children, this inside view of life on their farm is authentic and sometimes surprising. Readers will learn about baling hay, tending cattle, work dogs, hunting, manure, and other activities on the Bennett farm, as well as some insights into the culture of living in a rural area.

A day is a perfect piece of time/ to live a life,/ to plant a seed, Newbery Medalist Rylant begins, as a young farm boy ties one shoelace and a hen pecks at the other. The boy waters his garden and gathers eggs, but also picnics, naps and, along with his mother and the hen, stretches out on his back to gaze up at the sky. "Underneath that great big sky/ the earth is all a-spin./ This day will soon be over/ and it won't come back again."

Find out what a farmer's life is like. Colorful pictures and easy text help paint a picture farming and ranching life.

The classic book of poems for children, originally published in 1885, can be used to connect students with agriculture. From golden apples to meadows or climbing cherry trees and enjoying the activities of a cow, these poems celebrate 19th Century farm life.

Cassie's family faces a real challenge: to hold on to land in the South during the Depression. Her father works away from home and her mother works and runs the family farm. Lynne Thigpen dramatizes this excellent classic story of a black family's struggles to remain independent and proud against all obstacles.

Jake Semple, 13, has been expelled from a long line of schools before coming to live in rural North Carolina with the eccentric Applewhite clan. Jake is pushed into life on the Applewhite farm, Wit's End, full of creative types, goats, and manic energy.

Life in a rural area, both farm and non farm. Identifies farms and ranches and the types of agriculture they represent. Introduces young readers to the concept of communities, what it's like to live in different types of communities, and how each community fits into the broader world.