I am predicting an award for this book, in some capacity, come ALA's Youth Media Awards. It's translated from another language (which I LOVE) as well as the illustrations speak for themselves! ( )

Farmer Paul is hard at work while the rest of the village rests - raking, digging and watering. He watches and waits, and soon enough his crops start to grow. Then comes a terrible dry spell, and all seems lost as the plants begin to wither. Fortunately, Paul's friends pitch in to help him, and all ends well...

Originally published in French as Le potager, this simple picture-book from Spanish author/artist Ximo Abadía captures both the work and rewards of farming, as well as the dependence of farmers on matters entirely outside of their control, such as the weather. I can see why The Farmer has been described as an ecological fable, although I did find it a little confusing that the friends who helped Paul were all animals. I was expecting some kind of human solidarity, as one so often sees in rural communities. I also wasn't clear on how the animals could help, if all the water had dried up, although the point about awaiting the coming of the rains again was apropos. Despite my quibbles with the (extremely simple) narrative, I found this picture-book appealing, both because of its general themes and because the artwork is so compelling. Bright, bold colors, stylized figures, eye-catching layout - these all make the illustrations quite appealing. I definitely hope that more of Abadía's work is made available in English! ( )

Farming is a complicated job that is necessary and, yet, depends on variables outside of the farmer’s control. In this almost wordless picture book, author Ximo Abadia tells the farmer’s story with authenticity and conciseness. The brightly colored illustrations add humor and visual cues that tell more of the farmer’s story. Children will enjoy finding the critters and the farmer, himself within the The many tools found on the fun endpapers can work as a point of discussion related to a farm or career unit for preschoolers. Because so much of the story is told through the whimsical illustrations, The Farmer may work best as a lap sit read or with a small group. ( )