As a child, Edna learned from her family to live with the seasons as they grew and harvested their own crops; as they harvest, she thinks about what she can cook, bake, preserve, or brew with each fruit, root, leaf, bean, and vegetable.

Back matter includes an author's note, a photo of Chef Edna Lewis, a list of her cookbooks, and five recipes.

More text than most picture books; good for an attentive preschool reader or early grade school. ( )

I really enjoyed this story and think that it is a heartwarming and educational book for elementary school students. This book is meant for children between the ages of 4 and 8, but I believe this book is too challenging for 4 and 5 year olds. The vocabulary is very advanced for young children. For example, children will not know the words “unfurl” and “ail”. There are also food and plant related words such as purslane, watercress, and sassafras that are not in an elementary school student’s vocabulary. Complex vocabulary words in stories create learning opportunities, but I believe that too many unknown words will detach the reader from the content of the book. Although an 8 year old child would not be familiar with all of these words, they have a better idea of how to use context clues than kindergarteners. There are cute songs and poems that the family recites in the field, such as “Sassafras heals what ails you. Sassafras makes you feel all right. Drink the tea in the morning and sleep all night.” These help provide context clues for certain vocabulary while including rhyming to make the story more interesting. My favorite part about this book was that it was based off of African American chef Edna Lewis’ childhood, which makes the characters very realistic and relatable. Lewis’s parents raised her to believe that loving the gardens and taking good care of them leads to happiness and longevity. This is the big idea of the story, which is a great message for any child. Even though most children are not working the fields or gardens, they can still apply this message about loving what you do to their hobbies and future careers. The recipes at the end of the story also help bring this relatable book to life. They give children the opportunity to apply this story about food and culture to the life skill of cooking. ( )

I liked the description of the continual harvests of vegetables and fruits and the ideas Edna and her family had for how they would prepare the different food items. It was a great vehicle for outlining Edna's future professional values as a chef. ( )

the book has very simple art and simple colors. The girl is sent out by her parents to get fruits and berries. She loves doing this and learns some lessons along the way.
Age 4-5
Source: Steilacoom library

Summary:
Apples taste best when they're sun-ripened and freshly picked. That's something Edna Lewis discovered as a child in Freetown, Virginia, a farming community of freed slaves established by her grandfather. *Book Jacket Description

Personal Reaction:
I liked this book because Edna's family grew their own crops when she was a child. That is where she learned the importance of always using local and fresh ingredients, something she carried with her through her lifetime as she became even a famous pioneer.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. This book has Edna Lewis' real recipes in the back. I would allow the class to choose a recipe and we would take a field trip to look for fresh and local ingredients, if possible.

2. We would do an activity that shows what things grow where and what they could grow right there in the center or at home. We could start a garden in the yard. ( )