Garden

It's that time of year, gardens have been planted and are beginning to grow yummy fruits and vegetables.  We have already been cooking and baking with our strawberries, kale and lettuce.  It won't be long until the beans, peas, tomatoes and other veggies are ready to pick.  In the mean time pick up some fun garden read alouds to help pass the time until harvest!

Up in the Garden Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

Anyone who loves gardening will enjoy this comparison book with beautiful language.  A child and her Nana begin getting their garden ready to plant.  One page will describe what is happening up in the garden, while the next pages describes what is happening down in the dirt to help the garden grow.  The book takes us through the seasons beginning with late winter/early spring and ending with the snow covered winter. Each season and stage of garden is beautifully described and paired with illustrations that are just as beautiful.

Garden Rhymes by Clare Beaton

A collection of super cute and classic poems all about the garden.  You will find Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, Lavender Blue, Here is the Bee Hive and others.  The pictures are all felt stitched which adds the the quaintness of this perfect spring board book.

I Have a Garden by Bob Barner

This is a great book for early readers.  Your young reader can read about all the animals they might see in their own garden.  Barner uses the repeated phrase "I have a __________ in my garden," through the book.  Your beginning reader can easily fill in the blank with the correct word by looking at the picture and beginning sound of the unfamiliar word.  Try covering the animal word up with a sticky note.  Then have your child read the phrase and guess what word could be under the sticky note.  Be sure to prompt them to look at the picture.  Once they make a guess ask were you right? Does bird begin with?  Young readers love trying to guess the missing word by using the picture- a great early literacy skill!

Munch! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Flemming

In Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! All Mr. McGreely ever wanted was a garden.  When he finally decided to plant a garden, bunnies got in and ate all his vegetables.  He then put up a fence figuring that would keep the bunnies out, but those bunnies found a way in.  Day after day Mr. McGreely put a new obstacle in the bunnies way.  Then night after night the bunnies found a way through, over or under the obstacle.  In the end Mr. McGreely gives up and shares his vegetables with the bunnies.

I love Fleming's use of sound and action words through out this book.  The bunnies dash and spring and scratch and splash through the obstacles and then muncha all the vegetables! Her use of these words add to the excitement of the book and make it fun to read! If you children are into listening to audiobooks Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! read by William Dufries is also great!

Inch by Inch The Garden Song by David Mallett

The Garden Song Inch by Inch complete with illustrations of a young boy planting his garden and harvesting giant vegetables.  In the back of the book there is the sheet music so that you can sing the song while reading.  Here is a clip of John Denver singing The Garden Song on Sesame Street.

What are your favorite garden books to read while waiting for your yummy vegetables to ripen?

Happy Reading!
Laura

Are you busy in the garden?

It's springtime and in our family that means gardening time.  We are definitely busy in the garden tilling, weeding, watering and picking all so we can enjoy yummy, fresh veggies!

Picking strawberries

Our garden- just planted

If you don't have space for your own garden, check out some local community gardens.  in community gardens you can purchase a plot to garden yourself.  Many community gardens have garden managers who are able to answer any questions you might have about gardening.  Louisville has both Metro Government managed gardens as well as non-profit community gardens.  A few of the non-profit community gardens are Billy Goat Hill Garden, The Parklands and the St. Francis Center.  

Even if you don't have your own garden take advantage of those that do and visit your local Farmer's Market!  Here is a list of Farmer's Markets in the Louisville area.

If you aren't getting outside to garden and work in the yard- at least get outside for some read aloud time! Busy in the Garden by George Shannon is a super cute poem book all about springtime, flowers and gardening.  Each poem is rhyming and illustrated making this the perfect book for reading aloud.  He even has riddles about different plants/crops that might be found in the garden.  These poems are so fun they will bring out the green thumb in anyone!

Happy Reading (and gardening!)

Laura