Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers' Market by Michelle Schaub

Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers' Market Reviews

• 
  Jason June

  This was such a great trip to the Farmers' Market through poetry. Schaub included every aspect that I love of visiting the market!
• 
  Nancy Cavanaugh

  A wonderful book of poetry you'll want to read aloud!
• 
  Arline

  Made our whole family want to visit a farmer’s market!
• 
  Linda

  Just in time, a farmer’s market celebration that’s as fun as you can imagine. With Michelle Schaub’s rhyming poetry varies as much as the vegetables, and sweet as all the fruit gives Amy Huntington a chance to illustrate the happiness of all the kinds of people who come to the market, including their dogs. The opening poem, “Market Day Today” is the welcome: “Farmers chat./Musicians play./A neighbor-/stroller-/dog parade.” Amy’s illustration begins with a truck full of the goods. They’ve risen “by silver light”, ready to offer all the bounty they have. There’s humor when Farmer Rick, who “places all his items/into stacks precisely planned.” has a customer, Miss Mallory, who “picks her produce from/the bottom of the pile!” Oh my, the peppers begin to roll. . .
  The poems describe the activities we know well, not only what’s there to purchase. For example, there’s a poem about choosing what’s ripe. “Can a tap on an apricot/help you to choose?/How do you pick fruit/that’s ripened just right?” The answer: “Just ask the farmer--/she'll give you a bite.”
  There’s also the aroma and tastiness of the fresh-baked goods (“a hint of cinnamon dusted on cupcakes”) and roasted corn on the cob (“Wipe the butter off your chin./Ear to ear, you’re sure to grin.”), a nod to the live musicians (“fiddles pluck/and banjos strum”), and to the beekeepers’ honey (“liquid gold alchemy"). Not only is every page filled with delicious words, but the colorful and entertaining illustrations by Amy show all kinds of activities being enjoyed by a diverse group of people, including one family’s dog “running” through the book with a few hilarious results. I enjoyed them very much.
  I won’t share every exciting thing, but there is much more. And on this early April day, Michelle’s book makes me want to hurry the time for real “Fresh-Picked Poetry” at the farmer’s market.
• 
  Katey Howes

  I am in love with this beautiful book! Take a trip to an urban farmer's market, where families of all shapes and sizes celebrate the fresh, delicious choices, the sights, sounds and smells of market day! Michelle Schaub's nimble poetic voice dances us past baked goods, free-range eggs, roasting sweet corn, and so much more. Vivid imagery like "While you sleep/snuggles tight/farmers toil/by silver light" sits comfortably next to clever word play, onomatopoeia, and a veritable grocery list of fruits and veggies to enjoy. Amy Huntington's lively, colorful illustrations add story, beauty and humor of their own. This book is a perfect pick for family, classroom, or read aloud, and an excellent addition to any discussion of farming or healthy eating. Highly recommended.
• 
  Heather Preusser

  An inviting story where the form matches and enhances the content. It's sure to please treasure hunters of all types.
• 
  Kerri Kokias

  This book motivated my son and I to plan a trip to our neighborhood farmer's market. Ahh, the power of poetry!
• 
  Tasha

  Through a series of poems, take a visit to the farmer’s market. From the early work done by farmers long before their customers are awake to the market itself, this book celebrates one of the joys of summer. There are poems about how markets transform empty parking lots, the displays of heaped produce, the friendly sharing of samples, tempting baked goods, and the feeling of community that markets bring. It’s also a collection that celebrates the food too, the freshness of the produce and the bounty that people bring home.
  
  Schaub very successfully has captured the summer joy of farmer’s markets across the country. One can hear the bustle and busyness of the market, captured in her poetry. Throughout there is a sense of humor and immense pleasure at what the market provides beyond the food itself. The poetry has a lightness that reflects the feel of summer and sunshine.
  
  Huntington’s illustrations are equally bright and sunny. She incorporates people of a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures in her images, making sure to fully celebrate communities in her images. She also cleverly weaves a story in her images with a loose dog who adds to the energy of the day.
  
  A fresh and vibrant look at farmer’s markets that is perfect zest to a summer day. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
• 
  Ann

  Really well-designed and illustrated book of lovely poems exploring vignettes at the farmer's market. Great diversity of gender/race in illustrations and text. Would work really well with young children if read immediately before/after a trip to the farmer's market -- helping them contextualize new vocabulary and experiences.
• 
  KC

  This is a perfect book for squeezing poetry into summer reading. Filled with wonderful and fun prose all about farms, farmers, farmers markets, yummy and nutritious food, and neighborhoods.
• 
  Kat

  Fun, sweet, rhyming poems that describe and celebrate the experience of going to a city farmers market, accompanied by delightful watercolor illustrations.
• 
  Laura Salas

  These fun verses capture fun and lovely moments from a farmers' market--the customer who always picks her produce from the bottom of the pile, tasting samples, eating sweet corn, getting caught blue-handed... I felt like the poems got even stronger and more inventive as the book went on, and the light-hearted art complements the poems well. Nice backmatter about why to shop at farmers' markets.
  
  Would be great paired with Irene Latham's FRESH DELICIOUS, too!
• 
  Jessica Petersen

  I am so excited to add this book to my family's collection! From late spring to mid-autumn, my seven-year-old son and I go to our local farmers' market together. It's one of the highlights of our week. Right now, it's March, and those sunny afternoons seem very far away, but this book brought them out of our memories and fully to life through through the words, rhythm and rhyme of these poems, and of the fun and lovely illustrations that accompany them.
  
  I love the variety in the poems, the detail of the descriptions, the song-like rhythms of the verse that skipped off my tongue and never missed a step. The topics of the poems loosely follow the shape of a day at the market, from the farmer's preparations to the bustle of sights, sounds, textures, tastes, and smells of the day to the farmers packing up again. After reading the book together for the first time, my son spent the afternoon imagining what he'd do when he finally got to go back to our market. That and coming over to ask if he could take the book to read on his own. I'm always trying to find poetry books that will appeal to him, and this one has been a big hit!
• 
  Annette

  FRESH-PICKED POETRY: A DAY A THE FARMERS’ MARKET by Michelle Schaub features over a dozen short poems exploring local foods and markets.
  
  A series of short poems trace locally grown foods from the farm to market and finally to home. Each catchy poem explores a different aspect of the experience.
  
  Colorful illustrations by Amy Huntington will connect children with the experience of a farmer’s market. The book concludes with reasons for visiting a local market.
  
  Librarians will find this appealing picture book to be a useful tool for read-aloud activities. Consider building a learning station focusing on locally grown foods. Involve children in writing their own poetry about foods grown locally.
  
  LocalHarvest.Org helps people locate farmer’s markets across the United States. Use it to locate a market near your school. Go to
  http://www.localharvest.org/seattle-wa
  
  Published by Charlesbridge, an imprint of Random House. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
• 
  Erica Sirotich

  Beautiful collection of poems about a weekend trip to the farmer's market. Each poem illuminates one of the many small wonders to be found among the stalls of produce and crowds of market goers. I love "Pile Up," about one farmer who meticulously arranges his vegetable display, just in time to spy one of his regulars, who always finds her favorite veggie at the bottom of the pile. Gentle humor, keen observations of small details, and a friendly, fun rhyme scheme make this a great book to read after a similar weekend family adventure. Celebrates the local economy, organic foods, gardening, and farming. Love the watercolor illustrations too!
• 
  Gretchen

  This picture book is a delight from sunrise to sunset. Not only do Michelle Schaub's mouthwatering poems cleverly cover all things farmers' market, but Amy Huntington's illustrations weave the poems together in a friendship narrative between a country boy and a city girl and their dogs. Each page is a multi-cultural, multi-colored feast for the eyes that kept me smiling all the way through. Each poem is a juicy delight that had me wishing summer were already here, because Farmers' Markets here I come! This charming book will stand up to multiple readings with children of multiple ages. A blue ribbon read!
• 
  Gaia Cornwall

  Michelle Schaub's lyrical, sunny poetry perfectly describes a summer day at a city Farmer's Market--from sun up, to break-down. If you're a regular, your kiddo will recognize the various farm stands and musical acts, and if you've never been, its a great introduction. Readers will also appreciate the little wordless stories happening throughout Amy Huntington's beautiful illustrations. The joyful watercolors depict diverse crowds, delicious food and capture that buzzing city energy. A fantastic read!
• 
  Meg

  Summer is coming and so are thoughts about Farmer's Markets! This book of original poetry by Michelle Schaub entices children to think poetically about food and to attend local farmer's markets. The main character wakes up on market day and describes her visit to the event through poetry. Amy Huntington's illustrations add realistic watercolor pictures of all the market day participants. The author has even included reasons to attend farmer's markets and gives further resources at the end of the book. This is one of the most delightful poetry books I have read this spring! Grades K-3.
• 
  Sandy Brehl

  With humor, delightful word choice, colorful and diverse illustrations, and a variety of poetic forms, this day-at-a-Farmers' Market poetry collection unfolds with huge appeal. Forms vary, providing multiple mentor text samples, and each is an impressive poem of intricate rhythm, rhyme, and rationale. Pairing this with other rollicking romps is highly recommended, including April Pulley Sayre's Go, Go Grapes and Rah, Rah, Radishes.
• 
  Phoebe

  A lovely little book of farmer's market appreciation. Whether to inspire or to celebrate, I think young folk will dig both the rhyming poems --which are surprising, varied, accessible, and well-crafted-- and the on-going story in the illustrations, which is kids-eye-view and includes a misbehaving dog or two. A nice addition to a home library.
• 
  Ariel

  Just like a trip to the farmer's market, this book is filled with wonderful things to see on every page! Schaub's poetry is a pleasure to read aloud and Huntington's colorful illustrations perfectly match the excitement of spending time at a farmer's market.
• 
  Alison Goldberg

  A beautiful collection of poems that immerses readers in the experience of a sunny farmer's market day. So many terrific moments describing tastes and sounds accompanied by terrific illustrations. Absolutely lovely!
• 
  Juliana Lee

  Let the poems take you through a day at the farmers' market beginning with the early morning work of loading and setting up to the late afternoon good-byes and everything in between. Savor the sights, sounds, and especially tastes of a day at the market.
• 
  Alison Goldberg

  I adore this book! The warmth of a farmer's market day shines through these poems. With so many delicious details, it is a fabulous collection. The lovely illustrations add fun layers.
• 
  Marissa Ebert

  This book included short poems that walk readers through the process of food growing on a farm, brought to a farmer's market, and purchased by a customer. It encourages readers to shop at farmer's markets and support local sellers.
  
  I really like this poetry book. I love how there are multiple poems that are dedicated to the same theme. This poetry book also teaches readers about locally grown foods while at the same time being a bright and fun story to read aloud. You can tell that the author has first hand experience with what she is writing about, and it makes the story more real and exciting.
  
  I would pair this book with another poetry book like A Stick Is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play. This poetry book also includes short poems that center around a common theme.
  
  This book can be used to study poetry and to model what a short poem may sound or look like before delving into a poetry writing workshop.
  "Join the party, don't delay! Come celebrate, it's market day."