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1) Where does our food come from?

2) What does it mean to grow food?

3) How does growing food connect us?

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Students will…

I. List three foods that can be grown from a seed  on a sheet of paper. (Cognitive learning domain)

II. Draw a map of a food garden and potential crops on paper. (Psychomotor learning domain)

III. Articulate a food they might be interested in growing in a class garden and why and share it verbally with the class. (Affective learning domain)

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Students will…

I.      Explain the basic process of planting and growing food after reading Seedfolk and Secrets of the Vegetable Garden. (Cognitive learning domain)

II.     Plant and care for a bean with soil, water, and sunlight in the classroom/library. (Psychomotor learning domain)

III.     Articulate one obstacle they see to growing food in one to two written sentences. (Affective learning domain)

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What Will Grow? by Jennifer Ward Illustrated by Susie Ghahremani*

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What Will Grow? by Jennifer Ward Illustrated by Susie Ghahremani*

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What will grow is a poetic yet simplistic picture book exploring different seeds and what plants will grow from them.  The unfolding flaps are more sophisticated than typical flap books and they provide creative and original ways to surprise readers with what plant will grow from each seed.  This book is an easy way to show students some of the various types of common seeds that exist and what they will grow into.
Ward, J. (2017). What Will Grow? (S. Ghahremani, Illus.). Bloomsbury Children's Books.

*Nonfiction

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Grow! Raise! Catch! How We Get Our Food by Shelly Rotner*

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Grow! Raise! Catch! How We Get Our Food by Shelly Rotner*

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Grow! Raise! Catch! is an exciting collection of photos of people around the world obtaining and consuming their beautiful food.  This book shows us that there are many differences between us, specifically how we produce or obtain or food.  However, those differences are overshadowed by all of the similarities and qualities that make us human, specifically in our pursuits for survival, sustenance and  even indulgence.

Rotner, S. (2016). Grow! Raise! Catch! How We Get Our Food. Holiday House.

*Nonfiction

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Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm by Deborah Hodge Photographed by Brian Harris*

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Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm by Deborah Hodge Photographed by Brian Harris*

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This nonfiction look into the life of a local farm is filled with vivid, realistic, and illuminating photos that really bring you into the world of the farm.  Readers are invited to view all of the work that goes into and the things that occur while running a small farm throughout a year.  The book supports themes of food and farms bringing people together through the farm supporting the local community and the community supporting the farm.  This book is a nonfiction look into where our food can come from as well as how its production can connect us.

Hodge, D. (2010). Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm (B. Harris, Photo.). Kids Can Press.

*Nonfiction

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Molly's Organic Farm by Carol L. Malnor and Trina L. Hunner Illustrated by Trina L. Hunner

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Molly's Organic Farm by Carol L. Malnor and Trina L. Hunner Illustrated by Trina L. Hunner

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Molly's Organic Farm is a touching picture book based on the true story of Molly, a homeless cat who wandered onto an organic farm and found home.  The fictional narrative follows Molly from the time she arrives at the farm, through the growing and harvest seasons to winter.  Throughout the book, Molly engages with many local communities both animal and human.  In addition to community connection at the organic farm, this book also covers subjects such as healthy soil, companion planting, crop rotation, and buying locally.

Malnor, C.L., Hunner, T.L. (2012).  Molly's
Organic Farm (T.L. Hunner, Illus.).
Dawn Publications.

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Secrets of The Vegetable Garden by Carron Brown and Giordano Poloni

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Secrets of The Vegetable Garden by Carron Brown and Giordano Poloni

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This picture book talks about the hidden worlds that exist in growing vegetables in a garden.  From three basic things that a seed needs to grow to the worms in the soil breaking down leaves to the birds that eat plant-eating insects, this is an in-depth yet simplified look at all of the ecosystems and connections that occur in the natural and human-directed processes of growing food.  As a "Shine-a-light" book, every other page ends with a question and then a surprise, which allows for much class discussion.  The illustrations are also vibrant and enticing.

Brown, C., Poloni, G. (2020). Secrets of
The Vegetable Garden.  Kane Miller

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This is a fun book about two rabbits, with adjoining gardens who are feuding over the same giant carrot they are caring for.  Each rabbit has a distinct personality and technique in caring for the carrot, this can be tied to various methods and styles people have for growing food.  A surprise in the end forces both rabbits to come together and share the carrot.  This book is a lighthearted example of the various techniques people may use to grow food and also how we can connect with one another over food.

Na, I.S., (2020). That's My Carrot! Alfred
A. Knopf.

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How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry

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How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry

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Animals are our teachers, quite literally in this enchanting text.  In the story, Squirrel teaches Groundhog how to plant and care for a garden and all of their animal friends eventually have a feast from the vegetables that they grow.  Although the story is about anthropomorphized animals, the detailed descriptions of planting and tending to the garden and the vegetables and flowers themselves as well as the beautiful illustrations create a very realistic environment. The learning extends beyond the storyline as well.  Lovely endpages and borders with illustrations and names of seeds, plants, insects and other things you would find in a garden, accompany the story, creating a rich learning experience that is both fiction and non-fiction.

Cherry, L. (2003). How Groundhog's
Garden Grew. Blue Sky Press.

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Grow by Cynthia Platt Illustrated by Olivia Holden

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Grow by Cynthia Platt Illustrated by Olivia Holden

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Grow is similar to the storyline in Seedfolks.  A young girl with the seed of an idea to plant a garden in a city lot.  The idea, like a seed, grows as more people from the community get involved and work together to help clean the lot out, plant the garden, and find innovative water sources.  In the end, the community ends up at a garden party in the beautiful garden in a city lot that began as a young girls seed of an idea.

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Growing Vegetable Soup is a vividly colored yet simple exploration how we can grow our own vegetables, what tools to use and what vegetables we can grow, and then cook them into vegetable soup.

Ehlert, L. (1987). Growing Vegetable Soup.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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Seeds is a sweetly illustrated picture book exploring the magical world of, you guessed it, Seeds!  From the journeys they take to the transformations they undergo, to their awesome growing AND multiplying powers, seeds are a true miracle of nature.  Exploring the magic of seeds with students will help support the concepts of the innate connection between miracles of nature, plants, our food, and us as human beings.

Lemniscates, C. (2020). Seeds.
Candlewick Studio.

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Thank You, Omu! is a little bit of a departure from the books about gardening and growing plants and vegetables.  However, it is all about homemade food bringing community together.  One day Omu decides to make some delicious stew for herself.  Throughout the book, various community members smell Omu's stew and come to visit and ask for a taste.  In the end, Omu is left with no stew, when she hears a knock at the door, it's almost the whole town, there to return her generosity with a feast.  The book supports the theme of food, specifically food that has been cared for and intends to care for, brings people together.

Mora, O. (2018). Thank You, Omu! Little,
Brown Books for Young Readers.

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Errol is naturally good at growing things, he has a green thumb.  The problem is, Errol's family is running out of room in their apartment for all of the plants he's growing.  After discovering their buildings empty rooftop, Errol and his family enlist the help of their neighbors and the surrounding community to come together and build a beautiful rooftop garden in the city to grow flowers and vegetables for everyone to enjoy.

Hibbs, G. (2018). Errol's Garden. Child's
Play.

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Old Manhattan Has Some Farms: E-I-E-I-Grow by Susan Lendroth Illustrated by Kate Endle

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Old Manhattan Has Some Farms: E-I-E-I-Grow by Susan Lendroth Illustrated by Kate Endle

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Another take on the song Old McDonald had a farm.  The lyrics and pictures  explore various cities such as Manhattan, Atlanta, Chicago, etc., and various places and methods used for gardening in both cities and rural areas.  It would be fun to explore the various lyrics of this and the gardening alternate version of the song.  We could compare and contrast the messages and content while singing and exploring the classically catchy tune.

Lendroth, S. (2014). Old Manhattan Has Some Farms: E-I-E-I-Grow! (K. Endle, Illus.). Charlesbridge.

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Jo MacDonald Had a Garden by Mary Quattlebaum Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

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Jo MacDonald Had a Garden by Mary Quattlebaum Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

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This cute play on the classic song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" replaces the old words with fun lyrics about what you need to plant a garden as well as what actions you should take and what you might find there.  The illustrations are fun and as a musical person, I would be excited to sing this song with the kids while looking along at the pictures.  Oftentimes melodies can help students' learning and memory retention. It could be fun to bring this song back and sing it while planting during activity #2.

Quattlebaum, M. (2012). Jo MacDonald
Had a Garden (L.J. Bryant, Illus.).
Dawn Publications.

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Plant a Little Seed by Bonnie Christensen

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Plant a Little Seed by Bonnie Christensen

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This book follows two friends and their pets as they plant and care for a community garden.  Once the garden is grown, the kids get to taste all of the delicious veggies growing.  After harvest time, the kids learn all about the delicious foods that can be made with their veggies.  Finally, there is a huge community harvest feast.  The illustrations and story in this book are sweet and endearing.

Christensen, B. (2012). Plant A Little Seed. Roaring Brook Press.

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Rosie: Stronger than Steel! by Lindsay Ward

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Rosie: Stronger than Steel! by Lindsay Ward

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A poetic and musical picture book, Rosie: Stronger than Steel is the story of a farm in England during World War II, told from the point of view of Rosie the tractor.  Rosie works tirelessly alongside the strong, brave, female farmers to produce massive amounts of food to help both sustain the local community and the troops at war.  The songs the farmers sing about Rosie are fun, powerful, and inspiring; they would be very fun to  sing with a class.  The book supports themes like the importance of cooperating towards a common goal and the value of growing food, especially in times of crisis.

Ward, L. (2020).  Rosie: Stronger than
Steel! Two Lions.

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Grandpa's Garden Lunch by Judith Caseley

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Grandpa's Garden Lunch by Judith Caseley

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Grandpa's Garden Lunch is  a picture book about a young girl helping her grandfather tend to his garden as he teaches her all about his passion and the world of life living in and around it.  The book ends with the grandpa inviting mom and daughter over for a "garden lunch" of garden iced tea (with mint) garden salad (lettuce, tomato and cucumber), pasta and garden sauce (tomato sauce with garlic and basil), and garden dessert (zucchini bread).  This story emphasizes generations coming together over growing and eating food as well as the versatile uses of homegrown garden vegetables and helpful information about how to grow them.

Caseley, J. (1997). Grandpa's Garden Lunch.  Harcourt Brace and Company.

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The endearing, vibrantly illustrated book opens with a boy and his father entering their garden to harvest some vegetables to make everyone's favorite...Pizza! The two harvest various their homegrown herbs vegetables, and use them to make the sauce and toppings for their pizza.  This book has not only a heartwarming family story in it, but also built in instructions on how to use garden veggies to make a delicious pizza!
Iwai, M. (2017). Pizza Day. Henry Holt and Co.

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Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray and Zachariah OHora

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Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray and Zachariah OHora

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This bedtime book is a sweetly illustrated goodnight to a city rooftop garden.  Although it is not bedtime in the classroom or library, this book is a quick, fun read and the depiction of a rooftop garden in a city environment as well as the wide variety of crops that are grown there can support lessons about where gardens can be grown and what can be grown in them.  Additionally, the depiction of anthropomorphized vegetables (and worm) supports the concept of vegetable gardens as living ecosystems.

Murray, D., OHora, Z. (2020). Goodnight,
Veggies. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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This nonfiction picture book is an in-depth look at the life cycle and structures of a growing plant.  The book includes instructions for an in class bean planting project which directly ties into Kim planting the first Lima beans that began the community garden in Seedfolks.  This is the project we will use as activity #2.

Gibbons, G. (1991). From Seed to Plant. Holiday House.

*Nonfiction
^ ELA & Literacy Common Core Standards - Grades 2-3

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From Seed to Maple Tree: Following The Life Cycle by Laura Purdie Salas Illustrated by Jeffrey Joseph Yesh*+

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From Seed to Maple Tree: Following The Life Cycle by Laura Purdie Salas Illustrated by Jeffrey Joseph Yesh*+

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A beautifully illustrated look at the life cycle of a maple tree and how it begins, like all plants, from a tiny seed.

Salas, L.P. (2008). From Seed to Maple Tree: Following The Life Cycle (J.J. Yesh, Illus.). Picture Window Books.

*Nonfiction
+Engage NY Text List - Grade 2

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Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

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Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

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This book with light and happy rhyme scheme text follows a little girl as she plants a seed and nurtures it all the way into becoming a full fledged community garden.  At first the pictures show a bustling urban street and by the end it is an overflowing luscious garden full of a variety of plants and vegetables.  The illustrations show a diverse group of characters working together to create an anywhere farm.  The story shows the few materials and techniques needed to make a garden anywhere or, an anywhere farm.

Root. P. (2017). Anywhere Farm (G.B.
Karas, Illus.). Candlewick Press.

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Seedfolks is an extremely touching story of a run-down neighborhood in Cleveland finding life again through a community garden started in a garbage-filled lot by a young Vietnamese girl planting a few lima beans.  As her beans begin to grow, so do the community members' interests in creating a garden and growing their own food.  Neighbors from all different cultures and backgrounds, who have never spoken to one another, come together and become friends through growing food in the garden.  People trade and share their wide varieties of crops as well as stories and friendly conversation and truly begin to feel part of a community again.  The themes of  growing food empowering, connecting, and sustaining people will be the core of this lesson.

Fleischman, P. (1997). Seedfolks.
HarperCollins Publishers.

**Main Novel