In the Ovid-Elsie School System, located in Clinton County, is a second-grade classroom crammed with children’s books and decorated with a colorful array of pictures, posters and book covers all connected to children’s literature. This is the classroom of Sue McMaster, teacher extraordinaire, whose passion is children’s literature.

Mrs. McMaster has in her classroom library a bountiful harvest of children's books on agriculture, farming and food. She recommends the books previewed here for children ages 4-8; however, children of all ages will benefit from the agricultural messages. They may be read aloud to kids, or school-aged kids can read the books themselves.

Family Farm by Thomas Locker
Puffin; 1994

A young child, Mike, relates how his family’s farm is struggling. Mike’s sister makes a suggestion that the family pumpkin and flower garden be expanded, and the attempt helps the farm survive. The paintings by Locker illustrating the book are absolutely extraordinary—beautiful colors evoke different times of the day and the seasons of farming. 

Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Harcourt Children’s Books; 1995

This funny and charming book teaches children the difference between a root vegetable and a leaf vegetable. The plot revolves around Lazy Bear, who slumbers and misses planting season. Offering to farm Lazy Bear's land, the very busy hare says he and Bear can split the crop and even offers to let Bear choose the “tops” or “bottoms” of whatever is planted. Bear chooses tops. Hare plants root vegetables.  Bear gets nothing from the split. Then the Bear picks bottoms. Hare plants corn. The illustrations are vivid, and the lesson is very clear!

Market Day: A Story Told With Folk Art by Lois Ehlert
Voyager Books; 2002

Children love adventures—especially adventures with food—and Market Day is indeed that. The illustrations of this book are from folk art from around the world, and bright visions of chickens, veggies, farms and the road to the market will delight children and adults.  The varied countries where the folk art comes from are listed in the book. This works especially well with preschool kids.

How Do Apples Grow?
by Betsy Maestro (author); Giulio Maestro (illustrator)
HarperTrophy; 1993

Learning about trees will be an interesting process with How Do Apples Grow? Betsy and Giulio Maestro follow the growth of the apple trees in all seasons with soft illustrations and easy prose.   This book would be a good accompaniment to an applesauce-making project with a child.

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons
Holiday House; 2000

One of the pleasures of a Michigan autumn is to visit a farm market and pick out a pumpkin—or two or three. Gail Gibbons has created a book about the planting, growing and harvesting of pumpkins. The illustrations are charming—particularly the cover with children holding up and picking out pumpkins, and the dog picking out his pumpkin!

The Gardener (Caldecott Honor Award)
by Sarah Stewart (author); David Stewart (illustrator)
Farrar Straus & Giroux; 1997

The Gardener is a winner of the Caldecott Honor Award and is based on a wonderful premise: The strong spirit of a child coupled with growing things like flowers can change the world. It is the Great Depression. Lydia Grace Finch, sent from her farm home to the city to help in her uncle’s bakery, writes letters home. She recounts her attempts to grow her farm seeds and to bring happiness to those around her.