And so, today, we go from bread back to vegetables. Why don't we munch on some carrots?
The Giant Carrot, by Jan Peck (author) and Barry Root (illustrator), is adapted from the Russian folktale, The Turnip, and starts out with the planting of a single carrot seed. Papa is hoping to make carrot juice with it, Mama wants to make carrot stew, Brother Abel thinks about carrot relish, and Little Isabelle would like some "sweet carrot puddin'." That's a lot of pressure for a single carrot seed!
Well, each family member plays a part in caring for the seed, but it's something that Little Isabelle does that really makes it grow. Soon, the carrot top is as tall as Papa Joe!
It's so tall and firmly rooted into the ground that they can't get it out - until Little Isabelle works her magic. And then, let's just say the carrot is large enough to feed them all exactly what they wanted in the first place.
At the end of the book, you'll find "Little Isabelle's Carrot Puddin'" recipe, so this book might bring out your child's inner chef! And what about her inner reader? Two great read-alouds to go along with this book, especially for families with all ages of children, are The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, and James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl.
Today, though, I'd like to pair the selection with a Caldecott Honor Book, which will allow you to connect even more dots of carrot Tops & Bottoms (Caldecott Honor Book), by Janet Stevens. This beautifully illustrated picture book is about a sneaky hare who knows all too well that the value of tops and bottoms of various fruits and vegetables is not always equal. He uses his knowledge to outsmart a lazy bear and to feed his family.
Some parents may not appreciate the actions of the trickster, but I think this particular book presents a wonderful opportunity to talk about character traits, and to communicate your own values to your children. You could open up such a conversation even more by reading a version of the Aesop fable, The Tortoise and The Hare, together. Or, you could go in a whole other direction and start a more detailed conversation about different kinds of vegetables.
Here are some ways to connect the dots of the two selections:
- Offer baby carrots as a side dish for lunch or dinner, cooked, or shredded. Or, why not try carrot soup?
- Take a trip to grocery store or neighbor's garden - show your child carrots with tops. If you have extra time, you could even start asking which vegetables your child (or a rabbit) would want the tops or bottoms to. Have some fun!
- Let vegetables inspire artwork, and a discussion of tops and bottoms: Beets are a perfect vegetable to not only open up a conversation about root vegetables, but if you cut the tops off, the bottoms can be used as a stamp to create all kinds of purple people and designs. Next month, if you're coloring eggs for Easter, you could even use them in place of bottled food coloring. You could also use green water from steamed spinach. Will your child make the connection that you're using both tops and bottoms? Hmmm....
- Bring the subject to life with hands-on activities, such as the ones suggested in What Shall I Grow? (What Shall I Do Today)
, by Ray Gibson. You can easily grow "Tiny islands in the sea," using carrot tops, or watch "Roots and shoots" grow out of lima beans.
- Plant some carrot seeds in a small milk carton - here's a simple planting activity from Scholastic.
- Take out some finger paint and/or crayons - encourage your child to draw and paint carrots and other types of vegetables, and even use their artwork to write and/or tell stories.
- Bring in some science and drama - Ask you child to pretend to grow like a seed, and then a friend can water the seed with a watering can, someone else can be the sun shining, and yet another can blow air all around.
- Let them play with carrots and other vegetables: let them make words, letters, numbers, and creative designs with raw baby carrots (just keep in mind they can be a choking hazard for those still in the oral stage). You can get their creative juices flowing (and have a few laughs together) with the photographic book, Food for Thought, by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers.
- Take a trip to the library to find even more related picture books.
- Help your child discover the wonder and magic of food by cooking simple recipes together. You might try experimenting with soup, salad or fruit salad. Encourage your child to pick out some colorful ingredients, and hopefully one or two she's never tried before. Here's a link to some recipes using root vegetables.
Do some other connections pop out at you? Please feel free to add to this list.
Also, Monday is Day 1 of the Share a Story, Shape a Future Blog Tour! The theme is "Unwrapping the Gift of Literacy." Please check in each day this week to check out how bloggers are bouncing around the balls of literacy and books. I will have a related post here on Tuesday.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!