G's list of Ag Books

I enjoy making lists. Then I quickly lose them.  I painstakingly print grocery lists on bright post it notes, arrive at the grocery store and promptly need to “wing it”.  No note can be found.  I end up at home with five cans of French onion soup I didn’t need. (true story)

Part of why I like lists is the marking off.  The quick slash through an item feels good. 

Surely I can’t lose a list posted online.  So here it goes

My list of books to read to G in the future:  Topic Agriculture

1. Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
2. Fantastic Farm Machines by Cris Peterson
3. Oh Say Can You Seed?: All About Flowering Plants (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library) by Bonnie Worth.  
4. Who Grew My Soup? By Tom Darbyshire and C. F. Payne
5. Cattle Kids: A Year on the Western Range by Cat Urbigkit
6. Corn by Gail Gibbons
7. Farming by Gail Gibbons
8. Extra Cheese, Please!: Mozzarella’s Journey from Cow to Pizza by Cris Peterson
9. Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens
10. The Cow that Went Oink by Bernard Most

I gathered ideas from a couple of cool sources. A blog called Small Nebraska Farming: The Smaller Guy You Don't See shared a fun post called Top Books for Farm Kids. Also Minnesota's Agriculture in the Classroom lists a children's literacy book bundle with fantastic reads. 

Although I love books that feature farm animals such as Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin, the portrayal of a farmer feels somewhat cliche.  Do all farmers wear a straw hat, bib overalls and a scowl on their face? I suppose if playing Pictionary and my topic was television, I would definitely draw an old box TV with two V-shaped antennas (not a flat screen) Nostalgic image… I get it. 

If I ever became an author of a children’s farm book, my main character will sport dirt-covered, holes-in-the knee blue jeans, college T-shirt, and seed corn hat with red Gatorade in hand.  Just saying. 

A recent video on You Tube called “Farm It Maybe” parody to "Call Me Maybe"  displays a young farmer doing what he loves: working on a dairy farm.  My favorite verse of his song: 

"Yeah, I'm a Farm Boy

And here's my Holstein

It's just a heifer

It has no baby"

Great job representing agriculture in a fun and educational way littlefred2008!

Let’s go back to my list.  It’s only 10 books long, and my goal is 50.  I need some help here.  What’s your favorite ag-related kids’ book?  

I’ll keep adding books to my list… and when we get to #50 there will be a prize involved (meaning G will get a new book for his library… and so will someone else).  Stay tuned!

Lauren