Walker And The Good Brown Earth

This is a riotous celebration of the cycle of the seasons on a young boy's vegetable patch. Winter, summer, rain or shine, Nan and Wilfred visit and tend their vegetable patch. Sometimes they dig, sometimes they sow, and sometimes they just lie in the long green grass and sing - and all the while, the good brown earth gets on with doing what the good brown earth does best. This work is from the author of "The Little Boat", illustrated by Patrick Benson, which won the Kurt Maschler Award and was shortlisted for the Smarties Book Prize. Editorial Reviews From Booklist PreS. Henderson, the author of The Baby Dances, a 1999 Booklist Editor's Choice selection, contributes both words and pictures in this lovely, rhythmic celebration of growing things. Throughout the seasons, Gram and little Joe work independently but side-by-side on their gardens, planning, planting, watering, weeding, and waiting. At harvest time, both have grown beautiful vegetables--Gram's in neat rows; Joe's "higgledy-piggledy, tangly, FANTASTIC!" Henderson writes in simple, musical poetry that evokes the delicious, "squashy," "squelching" physicality of garden work, and the mixed-media illustrations of a garden teeming with plants and creatures have a waxy texture that, while sometimes indistinct, nicely extends the awe and mystery in the refrain: "The good brown earth got on with doing what the good brown earth does best." Best, though, is Joe's freedom to discover, follow his instincts, and create something wonderful on his own. Gillian Engberg Copyright å© American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review "Each beautifully detailed picture is merged with text that reflects... the experience of growing things for the first time." Carousel"