3 favorite farm books for kids
3 favorite farm books for kids
Read these before and after your apple-picking and pumpkin-patch adventures!
A lot of people online are talking about Meg Ryan Fall, and I love everything about that.
And though few things give me more joy than thinking of bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils while sipping coffee and admiring my town’s fall foliage, my autumn plans also involve many trips to apple and pumpkin farms with my little ones.
The three books below cover a few aspects of farm life: what to wear when you visit, which animals live there, and what kind of food grows there. They are colorful, cute, and exactly the type of books that make me forget how not outdoorsy I actually am.
Let me know if you’ve read these or will add them to your fall reading list!
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“Farm Boots” written by Lisl H. Detlefsen, illustrated by Renee Kurilla
This is the type of book that will make even the most indoorsy person find the charm in working on a farm. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and inviting and, by journeying through the seasons, the reader gets a peek at daily life on the farm. Each season and chore requires different footwear—and it’s all adorable, of course.
Recommended age: 2 - 6 years
“Big Red Barn” written by by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Felicia Bond
You know I love Margaret Wise Brown, and this book is no exception. The illustrator, Felicia Bond, is also the illustrator of the “If You Give A Mouse a Cookie” series, which is favorite in our household!
“Big Red Barn” follows a family of animals from morning to night on the farm. Brown’s language is absolutely delightful, from a little pig “learning to squeal” and “the geese and the goats were making funny noises down in their throats.”
Between Brown’s melodic text and Bond’s simple, yet detailed illustration style, this book is perfectly charming and comforting, and is a sweet introduction to farm life for the youngest readers.
Recommended age: 1 - 3 years
“How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?” written by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti
Whereas the first two books in this newsletter are best for younger children, “How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?” is wonderful for older children interested in how food is grown or made. From the bread in a sandwich to apple juice to the chocolate chips in a cookie, this book explains how it all gets from the farm to your table—er, lunchbox.
Recommended age: 3 - 7 years
What are your favorite books about life on the farm?
“Do not spoil the wonder with haste!” — J. R. R. Tolkien
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We really like Our Animal Friends by Alice and Martin Provensen. It's a fun book of farm animals and their antics, which are really true to life.
These are great book recommendations! We've read the Margaret Wise Brown book (which has a sort of Goodnight Moon enchantment of space applied to a farm environment) but I'll need to check out the other two for my farm-loving little boy.