An alphabet book with exceptional illustrations and excellent poetry that gives voice to the experience of Hispanic agricultural workers. Each letter is matched with a Spanish word (for example, "arboles" for "A") and accompanied by a poem in both Spanish and English that describes how the plant, fruit, vegetable, person, or feeling functions in the lives of these workers. The colors are brilliant, and the scope has a larger-than-life sense to it. This is a book that begs to be read aloud to all students, whether they are Spanish speaking or not. The sound of the poems will draw them in. The touching elegy for Cesar Chavez successfully imparts the impact of a heroic man on his people.

During a summer at the Darlington Peach Orchard in Georgia, Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie discover the true meaning of friendship.

There's a watermelon growing in the corner of the patch where the fence posts meet, and Jesse is waiting for it. Waiting for it to fill up with the cool summer rain and the hot summer sun. Waiting until at last it is ripe and ready for eating. Waiting until it is ready for her family's annual Watermelon day.

It's Nonna Mima's birthday, and Nonna Lidia and her grandkids are determined to throw her a surprise feast! While planning the evening's menu, Nonna Lidia shares her memories of growing up on the farm during each season of the year, gardening her own fruits and vegetables, and being surrounded by animals of all kinds. After a trip to the farmers' market, Lidia and the kids prepare a pasta primavera, perfect for a family celebration!

If only Ellie's potentially prize-winning pumpkin would gain 200 more pounds in time for the Rock River Pumpkin Weigh-In, and if only Ellie could lose 20 or so pounds herself, her life might be perfect. Well, at least it would be perfect enough to give her the courage to make friends with Wes - the cute new guy at school. She's well on her way to winning big on all counts when frost and pumpkin thieves begin to attack! The thing is, Ellie has the sass, humor, and smarts to be a winner - whether or not her pumpkin breaks the scales ... if only she would realize it.

Keith Emerson is being blamed for passing some pretty raunchy gas in his classroom. Keith fights back by using his science project to find a cure for the foul smell of the common fart, something Benjamin Franklin tried to do 200 years earlier.

How do plants store food during cold winter? How do they carry water up the leaves? The author explains the role of roots and stems, the two types of roots, stems found both above and below ground, the function of ther structures and how both help plants survive. Also includes some simple experiments.

The carrots are disdainful. The eggplants, full of themselves. “You're a lumpy, bumpy, dumpy vegetable, and we're beautiful,” the flowers sneer. Luckily, in this mean-kids parable, Little Sweet Potato finds a more accepting patch of flora to plant himself in.

Old French tale about soldiers who trick miserly villages into making them a feast. This version won a Caldecott Medal when Brown retold and illustrated it in 1947.

Groundhog loves to eat fresh veggies from his neighbor's garden until a friend teaches him to plant his own garden.

Lola is a fussy eater. One day, after rattling off her long list of despised foods, she proclaims, "And I absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato." Lola's older sister Charlie convinces her to try the despised foods by telling her the peas are "green drops from Greenland, mashed potatoes are "cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji," and so on.

The story of Johnny Appleseed — pioneer, reader, vegetarian, spiritualist, businessman, friend of American Indians and tamer of wolves. He planted apple seeds, too.

When James Henry Trotter loses his parents in a horrible rhinoceros accident, he is forced to live with his two wicked aunts. One day, an old man in a dark-green suit gives James a bag of magic crystals . When James accidentally spills the crystals on his aunts' withered peach tree, he sets the adventure in motion. From the old tree a single peach grows, and grows, and grows some more, until finally James climbs inside the giant fruit and rolls away from his despicable aunts to a whole new life.

When Ma Farmer gets a hankering for sweet potato pie, she decides to plant a sweet potato in her garden. But when it is time to harvest, the sweet potato has grown to be so enormous that it is stuck. Includes a recipe for sweet potato pie and sweet potato facts. Adaptation of the Russian folktale, "The Giant Turnip.")

Jamie O'Rourke, "the laziest man in all of Ireland," captures a leprechaun who offers magic potato seeds instead of the traditional pot of gold. The resulting spud feeds the O'Rourkes and other villagers for longer than anyone could have imagined.

Hercules is a first-grade rodent, in a multilayered tale about time, the seasons and the long, impatient wait for a full-grown pumpkin to pick. When the teacher takes Herky to her country home for the summer, he discovers his horticultural side. Especially marvelous is what Herky's accomplishment shows children: animals and plants have lives and life cycles of their own. (New York Times review)

A group of neighborhood children transforms a bare patch of earth into a vegetable garden, and in so doing, they learn how to plant in straight rows, how to thin seedlings, and how to cope with slugs and worms. They make notes on their efforts and compile useful lists of gardening tips. The result is a colorful, graphic scrapbook-diary-photo album.

An alphabetical tour of fruits and vegetables, featuring vibrantly colored collage illustrations, large capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet, an A to Z glossary of produce and a pronunciation guide.

In brightly-colored collage illustrations, a father and child share the simple joys of planting, watering, and watching seeds grow in their garden. Then they cook them all up into a delicious vegetable soup, the recipe for which is included.

Facts, history, legend, and growing tips about one of the favorite fruits of fall. In addition to instructions on pumpkin carving (and safety) and seed toasting, the author includes the word for the berry in other languages, a brief list of pumpkin world records, and recommended readings and Web sites.

Using multiple voices, Fleischman takes readers to a modern inner-city neighborhood. where bit by bit the handful of lima beans an immigrant child plants in an empty lot blossoms into a community garden, tended by a notably diverse group of local residents. Toughened by the experience of putting her children through public school, Leona spends several days relentlessly bullying her way into government offices to get the lot's trash hauled away; others address the lack of readily available water, as well as problems with vandals and midnight dumpers; and though decades of waging peace on a small scale have made Sam an expert diplomat, he's unable to prevent racial and ethnic borders from forming. Still, the garden becomes a place where wounds heal, friendships form, and seeds of change are sown.

In this bilingual picture book, three Latino children share riddles and stories with their parents and grandparents as they eat watermelon on Sunday afternoon. Abuelo remembers that when he was a boy, he helped his father harvest watermelons and sell them along the highway and in the barrios. In fact, that's how Abuelo met his wife. When her mother sent her to buy a watermelon, her dog jumped in the truck and went after Abuelo, and he dropped the fruit. His face was "redder that the watermelon lying all over the street," but he was in love. The text appears in both English and Spanish on each page.

Discussion of how berries grow in the wild and how they are cultivated in fields and gardens domestically, including the impact of climate. The author describes the uses of edible berries and even provides directions for growing strawberries.

An inviting, information-packed cornucopia of favorite fruits.

Explains that pumpkins belong to the squash family, that there are different varieties, and that each has a different purpose. Provides a nice overview of how pumpkins are grown their history and uses. Also includes a few fun activities.

Gibbons matches concise, simple text with bright, cheerful watercolor-and-ink artwork, and she adds more information in text boxes placed within the pictures. The facts range from the most basic ("It is good for us to eat vegetables. They are nutritious.") to the more advanced, such as a definition of hydroponics. Gibbons' survey is visually inclusive; the pictures show families of all shades enjoying vegetables in different ways. And the scenes in the garden, and then on the farm and at the supermarket, show both small- and large-scale production. A final page adds more interesting veggie trivia.

Jack and his mother, Annie Okey-Dokey, live on a ranch in Arizona. A giant has stolen all their cattle, and they're forced to sell their last cow - which Jack trades for beans. The magic beanstalk this time leads to an adobe castle in the sky, where Jack encounters the giant cattle rustler Wild Bill Hiccup; from then on, the story takes its predictable turns. Filled with puns and twists, this re-telling is fun, though the humor sometimes borders on the crass (rather than a goose laying golden eggs, there's a buffalo laying golden chips). The cartoon-style art is big and bright, though the exaggerated features and characteristics, reminiscent of political cartoons, might intimidate the younger ones. Still, those familiar with the original will enjoy Jack in this new setting, and adults will appreciate some of the more sophisticated and sly asides down on the range.

Alexander's afternoon snacking choice becomes a heated argument among some feisty fruit about which is the best for Alexander's young, growing body.

First, a grocery store robbery. Then somebody steals Bill Collins's prize watermelon.

Covers all appropriate information about seeds, germination, flowering and pollination. Excellent photographs. Various dissemination methods and adaptations to different climates are also included. Also includes trees and nuts.

Four bored children visit a man selling watermelon slices from his truck, dig into them, and soon begin slurping and spitting, leading the way for the rest of the town to follow suit. When the mayor appears and it seems the game is off, she surprises everyone and ups the ante—by throwing pies!

A classic story about a little boy who plants a carrot seed that becomes a carrot.

The story of tomatoes, from the early cultivation by the Aztecs to the introduction of the tomato to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors to modern cultivation in backyards, greenhouses and large scale production. Includes the processing of tomatoes into a variety of products.

Humor, zoo animals, bright illustrations and the escapades of a little boy named Bubba teach children to choose a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables over unhealthy junk foods.

The development of a pumpkin seed into a plant, pumpkin, jack-o-lantern, and, completing the cycle, back to seed again.

A good introduction to multiculturalism and the benefits of differences. A little girl is distressed by the ugly vegetables her mother is growing in their garden, while the neighbors are all growing pretty flowers. At harvest, the ugly vegetables fill the air with a wonderful aroma, and soon the neighbors are trading their flowers for her mother's soup. The book includes a list of the "ugly" Chinese vegetables, with pronunciations, images and descriptions - and a recipe for the soup.

Three generations of urban homebodies and apple lovers take part in a seasonal rite that leads form farmer's market to stove top to dining room table.

The colorful, high-quality photographs complement the text and tell half the story. The book accurately depicts planting seed through harvesting, storage, packing and processing peas. Included with the production photos are a series of three time-lapse photos of seed germinationa and seedling growth. The book accurately portrays aerial spraying to control pests. also includes two photos of mechanical pea harvest.

Numbers, colors, and gardening are combined in this vividly illustrated counting book. The story starts as Max and Josephine plant a garden, first 1 watermelon seed, then 2 pumpkin seeds, and so on all the way to 10. The phrase, "and they grew" follows mention of each new set of seeds. The illustrations depict the seedlings as they grow. After a center spread with colorful plants filling the pages to capacity and Max and Josephine busy at work, it's time for the harvest. The fruits and vegetables are so plentiful that they must be counted in tens: "ten watermelons, big and green, and twenty pumpkins, glowing orange." Later, on a cold winter night, the children turn "one hundred ears of corn" into "100s and 1000s of big, white crunchy puffs" of popcorn. Throughout the book, the text runs along the bottom of the double-paged illustrations, with the numerals, in bright colors, lining up beneath. This appealing book is great for classroom counting and discussions of seasons.

Two strangers drive their green pickup truck down Second Street, giving away almanacs and planting small gardens for reluctant neighbors. As time goes by, the gardens thrive and so do the neighbors, who begin to share their harvest of produce and happiness with others. Throughout the book, informative sidebars tell readers about topics related to the story: why medieval insomniacs ate lettuce, what to plant in order to attract butterflies, and how to make sprays that repel insects from plants.

Block cutouts travel backward from ripe fruit to planted seed. The text is one-word-per-page minimal.

After five brothers accidentally spill seeds over a small town, they feel responsible when pumpkins and vines begin to overrun the houses the next year.

The story teaches math and science concepts while modeling kind behavior. The author introduces counting by twos, fives and tens and includes pumpkin facts, e.g., the more lines on the pumpkin, the more seeds it will have.

Murray the mouse wants to make perfect soup on a perfect winter day but he doesn't have a carrot.

When Charlie and his grandfather plant a watermelon patch together, Charlie hopes that one seed will become a special kind of watermelon that gives one wish. As they enjoy fishing, picnicking, playing basketball, and swimming, Grandpap tries to guess what his grandson would ask for. In the end, Charlie reveals that his wish is for another summer with his grandfather like the one they just had.

Ten-year-old Rosario is a Mexican immigrant to Canada embarrassed that she doesn't speak or write English well. Written in first person, this chapter book reflects the experiences and emotions of the many immigrant children. Includes an author's note on migrant farm workers and a glossary of Spanish words.

Growing up in a migrant family, Chico has experienced first school days in artichokes and first days in onions, and "now his first day in third grade would be in grapes." His encounters with bullies and the grumpy school bus driver shake Chico's confidence, but a friendly classmate and an understanding teacher help him adjust. Realistic watercolor, pastel, and colored-pencil illustrations portray Chico's emotions.

Accurately depicts germination, pumpkins growing and still green, pumpkins changing colors and uses for pumpkins.

Sylvia hates spinach, but when she is given a packet of spinach seeds that she must grow for a class project, she starts to take an interest in the leafy green vegetable. Hers is one of the first crops ready to harvest. When she nibbles on a leaf at school, Sylvia decides that it doesn't taste so bad after all and brings a bunch home to share with her parents.

The first zucchini of a summer garden is always exciting, but what happens when the plants just keep growing...and growing...and growing? Zora soon finds herself with more zucchini than her family can bake, sauté, or barbecue. Fortunately the ever-resourceful girl comes up with the perfect plan—a garden swap!

Introduction to seeds, their purpose, and growth. On each page, one or two short lines of text appear beneath a large illustration. Can be used as a read-aloud discussion starter, a prelude to planting seeds and observing their growth, or in preparation for dissecting fruits and vegetables in order to find the seeds inside. Two final pages in question-and-answer format offer more tidbits of information about seeds. Tiny silhouette people and suitcases parading across the bottom of the pages visually emphasize the suitcase theme.

The author documents the life cycle of a pumpkin with close-up, naturalistic photos and clear, simple text. He discusses the wide variety of pumpkin colors and sizes. Basic instructions are included for carving a jack-o-lantern, with adult help suggested. The next year's crop, ensured by the pumpkins and their seeds left to rot in the field, is the focus of the last spread.

This book explains how grapes become raisins, who introduced the seedless grape, raisins throughout history, nutrition and the many uses for raisins.

This fun assortment of poetry explores nutrition through a variety of poetry formats.

Some pumpkins are tall; some pumpkins are squat. Some pumpkins are big; some pumpkins are not. A little girl tells her favorite things about pumpkins, like pumpkin masks, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie.

Katie's Cabbage is the inspirational true story of how Katie Stagliano, a third grader from Summerville, South Carolina, grew a forty-pound cabbage in her backyard and donated it to help feed 275 people at a local soup kitchen. In her own words, Katie shares the story of the little cabbage seedling and the big ideas of generosity and service that motivated her to turn this experience into Katie's Krops, a national youth movement aimed at ending hunger one vegetable garden at a time. Katie's Cabbage reminds us of how small things can grow and thrive when nurtured with tender loving and care and of how one person, with the support of family, friends, and community, can help make a powerful difference in the lives of so many.

Hoping to rise above his level of poverty, clever Hare strikes a deal with a rich and lazy bear in which Bear will contribute the land while Hare will provide the labor for a profitable harvest.

Beautifully photographed book about fruit is basic but accurate. It is an excellent resource for teaching pollination and seed development and the difference between a fruit and a vegetable.

This early reader book explores the development of the green snap bean, from seed through germination, growth, flower development and pollination, on to seed development.

Watch tiny carrots grow into carrots we eat. Learn about this vegetable's life cycle, from start to finish.

A girl plants the seed of a green bean and watches it grow and mature through the seasons, even providing a nook in which to read a book. Includes supplementary information about the life cycle of plants, pertinent vocabulary, and activities.

Whimsically illustrated story about a pig who craves vegetables also includes tips for kids to plant their own organic gardens.

Jamie plants a pumpkin seed in the spring and, after watching it grow all summer, carves a face in it for Halloween. But best of all, he saves some seeds that he will plant again next spring.

Kids can count their way to healthy eating with this delicious introduction to math through familiar fruits and vegetables. A variety of discussion subjects are introduced, including identifying favorite foods, investigating taste differences such as sweet and hot, examining textures such as smooth and sticky, and comparing the differences in the size of the items as well as their colors. A playful and interactive layout allows the reader to open flaps and view the inside of each fruit or vegetable.

For centuries Japanese storytellers have recounted how Momotaro, the baby found inside a peach and raised by a childless couple, grew up to defeat a tribe of thieving ogres. Kano Naganobu (1775-1828), an official painter for the Shogun, depicted Momotaro's exploits on a pair of silk handscrolls. Wada retells Peach Boy's adventures to accompany reproductions of scenes from those scrolls. The delicate watercolors depict the hero and his animal helpers against mist-shrouded backdrops of mountain and sea.

Shows how potatoes are grown and harvested.

Describes peach production, beginning with the peach pit, and shows how peaches are harvested.

Annie, the apple farmer, saves her most beautiful apples to sell fresh at the farmer's market in the city. She picks plenty of sweet, crunchy apples and makes applesauce, apple cider and baked apple treats.

Bilingual tale in rhyme of the Mexican jumping bean teaches children the fun in nature and the miraculous discoveries encountered while taking a walk.