Summertime means fresh veggies at the farm stand to pick out and count! This concept book follows a family's stop at the farm stand as they count tomatoes, strawberries, sunflowers—and yes, ears of corn. Felicia Sanzari Chernesky's simple verses are beautifully accompanied by Susan Swan's collage art. - (Albert Whitman & Co)
Simple verses and bold collage art combine in a colorful concept story set at a farm stand of fresh produce where a family counts out the delicious tomatoes, ripe strawberries and bright sunflowers they want to purchase. - (Baker & Taylor)
A family goes to a farm stand to buy--and count--a variety of fresh produce, from one watermelon to twelve ears of corn. - (Baker & Taylor)
Felicia Sanzari Chernesky was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She has an MFA in Poetry from Western State Colorado University. She currently lives in Flemington, New Jersey, with her husband, kids, cat, and poetry books. Pick a Circle, Gather Squares was her first book. www.feliciachernesky.comSusan Swan is the illustrator of many books for children, including Pick a Circle, Gather Squares; When Autumn Falls; and Volcano Rising. She lives in Ovilla, Texas. www.susanswan.com - (Albert Whitman & Co)
In this counting concept story, a family stops at a farm stand in the summer time to buy--and count--fresh vegetables and fruit. - (Albert Whitman & Co)
Booklist Reviews
On a hot, steamy day in August, a brother and sister visit the local farm stand with their mother. As they gather fruits and vegetables, the rhyming, rhythmic text switches into counting mode, featuring numbers from 1 to 12 and leading off with "1 watermelon so smooth and round. / 2 purple eggplants that weight two pounds." Checking for items on Mom's grocery list, the children find items such as "stinky onions," "fuzzy peaches," and "fresh-picked corn," before pausing for a last-minute addition: a sunflower. It's an everyday excursion for these kids but an evocative, vicarious experience for young children who don't have a farm just down the road. While there's a bit of humor in the easy-going text, the book's jovial spirit is created chiefly in the lively digital collages, which combine cut-paper elements with painted effects for a richly colorful visual experience. This pleasant picture book makes a flavorful read-aloud choice, best savored in the summertime. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
The team behind the shapes-focused Pick a Circle, Gather Squares returns with a counting book that emphasizes eating fresh, local produce. A mother and her two children with sun-varnished faces and mussed hair, visit a farm stand, first selecting "1 watermelon so smooth and round./ 2 purple eggplants that weigh two pounds." Vibrant variations in color and composition in Swan's collages point to the myriad of edible treasures to be discovered at the fruit stand or farm. Chernesky closes by underscoring the importance of supporting local growers: "But first, put some money in the can./ Farmers work hard to feed the land." Ages 4–7. Author's agent: Susan Hawk, the Bent Agency. (Mar.)
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School Library Journal Reviews
PreS-Gr 1—This farm-stand adventure takes youngsters on a lively shopping excursion, counting from 1 to 12. Effective for sharing both with a group and one-on-one, crisp rhyming text creates a high-energy atmosphere that will appeal to even the youngest fruit and vegetable lovers: "Dog day August/and it's steamy hot./Let's take a drive to/the farm stand spot." Armed with Mom's list, two enthusiastic siblings start collecting: one watermelon, two eggplants, and so on, all the way up to a dozen ears of corn. Mom mostly stays in the background, but she occasionally intervenes in this orderly collecting to add more items (green beans) or put some back (berries). The chunky, layered art in bright colors calls forth the deliciousness of late summer, though sometimes the many details can make isolating the objects to count a challenge. Overall, this hearty picture book serves as an encouraging prompt to practice counting while grocery shopping as well as a great warm up for the next trip to a farmer's market.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
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