Great NEW Farm Books

New books on farming life--with a little twist. Great for wrapping up summer and stepping into harvesttime.

Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch by Mary Peterson and Jennifer Rofé (Charlesbridge). Two little piglets get into trouble on the farm while mama pig sleeps. The pudgy and charming pictures disguise the fact that you are learning your prepositions at the same time (over the bean, behind the sheep…!). (1 and up)

Farm by Elisha Cooper (Scholastic). Cooper is a past winner of the Society of Illustrators’ Gold Medal. Fifty pages of life on the farm, from March to November, provide amazing details with the rhythm of the changing seasons. Although the details seem almost non-fiction, the family and the lyrical writing give farm life a more reverent feel. (4 and up)

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson, illus. by Marcellus Hall (McElderry). A sweet treat for young cookie lovers, Wilson’s tale serves up a twist on farmyard sights and sounds. Full of nostalgia and comfort, with the confidence to pop that punchline at the end. (2 and up)

Mary’s Penny by Tanya Landman, illus. by Richard Holland (Candlewick). Here’s a country competition where brains outweigh brawn. Which child should inherit the farm? The farmer gives each boy a penny to find something “to fill the whole house.” Then the girl Mary demands a penny, and the story unfolds. (4 and up)

Although Julie Hubble lives in Kansas, she doesn’t drive a tractor.