Pioneer Farm Cooking

by Mary Gunderson

Discusses the everyday life, family roles, cooking methods, and common foods of pioneers who settled in the Midwest during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Includes recipes.

Genres: History, Cookbooks

32 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 1999

Reviews

[Stephene · Rating 4 out of 5]

4th to 7th grade
Small’s pencil illustrations are cartoon-ish, and while they depict a sad-looking group of animals, I don’t feel they correspond with the eloquent, rich text. This said, they do give the reader an occasional image of the animals with which to reference. Appelt’s text is brawny, velvety, heart-wrenching and much more, wrapped up in one long, fascinating tale. The mystical references from the viewpoint of Grandmother and the Alligator King add a complete and separate component to this sad, but beautiful tale and expose the newly-fluent reader to a literary experience like no other. Readers will be drawn to Ranger and the calico mother and kittens, and will be sucked in by the cyclical tale which draws on human compassion and the desire for mercy.
Related content: Language Arts, Science, Social-Emotional
Lesson Idea: Students will write an alternate ending to this story.

[CFAITC]

Explore history through pioneer farm cooking, recipes, and stories about food storage and cooking.