Anywhere Farm

by Phyllis Root, G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

For any anywhere farm, here's all that you need: soil and sunshine, some water, a seed.

You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start. Who knows what plants you may choose to grow and who will come to see your new garden? Phyllis Root delivers a modern rhyming mantra for anyone hoping to put their green thumbs to good use, while G. Brian Karas s cheerful urban illustrations sprout from every page. After all, anywhere can be a farm all it takes is one small seed and someone to plant it."

Genres: Picture Books, Gardening, Childrens, Storytime, Plants, Nature, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 14, 2017

About the author

"Picture books are performances," says Phyllis Root, quoting some sage advice she once received. "They're performances that involve a child--something both of you do. And once I started thinking of them that way, I started getting much looser about making up words and playing around with rhythm."

Phyllis Root picked up an early affinity for colloquial language while growing up in Indiana and southern Illinois, "where people actually say things like, 'I got a hitch in my git-along'!" She decided to be a writer in the fifth grade, but it wasn't until she was thirty years old that she took a writing course with an influential teacher who gave her "the tools" she says she needed. "That's when I figured out that you could learn to be a writer," she says. What followed was a series of rollicking stories that take on a new life when read aloud, among them ONE DUCK STUCK, a one-of-a-kind counting book; KISS THE COW!, an affectionate salute to stubbornness; WHAT BABY WANTS, a tale of increasingly ridiculous efforts to quiet an infant that one reviewer compared to an episode of I LOVE LUCY, and LOOKING FOR A MOOSE, a buoyant tale with a final surprise discovery.


The author does "endless rewriting" before a book is finished, but often starts out by writing her stories in her head, a trick she learned as a time-pressed mother when her two daughters were very young. For example, RATTLETRAP CAR--a joyful celebration of perseverance--began with her playing around with sounds ("clinkety clankety, bing bang pop!") and calling up bits of old camp songs.


A master of rhythmic read-alouds, Phyllis Root exhibits a range many writers would envy. Her counting book TEN SLEEPY SHEEP is as serene and lulling as ONE DUCK STUCK is rambunctious. "Counting sheep isn't always easy," she notes. "Once, while we were farm-sitting, my daughter and I had to chase down two runaway lambs in the growing darkness, then count twenty-seven frisky lambs to make sure they were all safe for the night. Luckily, they were." OLIVER FINDS HIS WAY is a quiet, classic picture book about a defining moment in the life of a small child--getting lost and having the pluck to find the way home. On the other extreme, Phyllis Root takes on no less than the whole universe in BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD, a powerful, original, down-home creation myth that received rave reviews and won the prestigious BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. Most recently, Phyllis Root penned LUCIA AND THE LIGHT, a timeless adventure about one brave girl's quest that was inspired by Nordic lore.


When she's not writing, Phyllis Root teaches at Vermont College's MFA in Writing for Children program. She lives with her two daughters and two cats in a 100-year-old house in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and loves to read (mostly mysteries with female protagonists) or spend time outdoors gardening, camping, sailing, or traveling. "One of the things I've learned about myself," she confides, "is that when I get really stuck and can't seem to get writing, it's because I've forgotten to take time out to play."

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Peacegal for alerting me to this book. It’s interesting to read it now because my Goodreads friend Hilary and I were just discussing community gardens/allotments for gardening even when one doesn’t have private space at home to garden.

I loved this book. It’s fun and entertaining and informative.

There is a great message that’s empowering for all kids no matter what their circumstances, and creative ideas are presented for where to plant seeds. (I’m not sure about wanting to use some of them but they do get the imagination going!) The rhyming story is thoroughly enjoyable and its cadence is perfect for reading aloud. I love the variety of produce mentioned.

The illustrations are wonderful. I love the art style, the fun and interesting details, and their inclusiveness. My favorite illustration is the “everywhere” one near the end.

This would have been a favorite book of mine when I was young. I can see reading it over and over as a beginning reader.

Highly recommended for all young children, all families, gardening programs, schools, community centers, and anywhere where they might be people interested in growing food and places where it could be done. Yes, almost anywhere.

Reading this definitely makes my desire to grow some food even stronger than usual, and I think that will be true for many people of all ages.

Delightful picture book for all ages!

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rhyming tale explores all the options in planting flowers, fruits, and veggies and that one can plant them anywhere.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming text and lovely illustrations. This book shows some children living in a city determined to find a way to grow some vegetables. I'm not sure how realistic this would be for vegetables to be planted in a crate or hole in the ground next to a tower block and not get destroyed or removed by the council, and this could be frustrating to a young reader envisaging a small farm being created on their street but it has the encouraging message of getting children to grow vegetables which can only be a good thing. Lovely book, nice to look at and the rhyming made it more fun to read.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a darling picture book! This rhyming book is full of fun color drawings of where you can plant seeds and grow your own garden if you have "soil and sunshine,some water,and a seed." These creative ideas include using a horn as a planter ("corn in a horn"), or a cup, a pot,a box, an old shoe, a crate, a bike basket or even just in the ground. I grew up gardening and my mom and grandmother frequently used all sorts of unusual objects as planters so this clever book really appealed to me.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable and an important message that anyone (including children) can grow something beautiful, useful and eatable anywhere. I keep wanting to call it "Anywhere Garden" -- really, I think it's a bit of a stretch to consider one plant in an old boot a "farm" and I'm not sure if really is fair to have children think they can just start a farmer's market or community garden in any old abandoned lot -- but the story's heart is in the right place. I appreciate the diversity portrayed in the illustrations, too. My kids enjoyed it, too, and chuckled about some of the ideas of where to plant a garden (the horn gave them a big kick).

Two of my GR friends have already reviewed this book better than I could, so I encourage you to check out their reviews if you want to know more details about this book.

Lisa Vegan's
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hilary's
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

"For an anywhere farm, / here's all that you need: / soil and sunshine, / some water, a seed. / Fat seed or skinny seed, / pointy or round, / tenderly tuck it / down into the ground. / Then you watch and you wait. / You water. You weed. / Your seed will sprout out / at its own seedy speed." And so begins this gentle rhyming tale meant to inspired young people to start gardens wherever they are: in pots in their apartments, on city lots - anywhere and everywhere!

A lovely picture-book celebration of green spaces and community gardens, Anywhere Farm reminds me of such titles as DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan's City Green , or Peter Brown's The Curious Garden , which also advocate turning concrete jungles into greener, healthier, more natural places. The format here makes for an excellent read-aloud, while the artwork, done in mixed media by G. Brian Karas, is cute and colorful, depicting a diverse range of people getting involved in a diverse range of gardening projects. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about gardening and growing things, and about engaging with the wider community around these issues.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

This book is a fun, rhyming celebration of growing your own veggies--well, anywhere! Watch as a group of kids and adults turn an alley into an "anywhere farm" with corn, peas, sunflowers, and many more plants sprouting from boxes, pans, and buckets.

Gardening is a kid-friendly hobby full of benefits--from getting kids out and active to inspiring them to eat more healthy foods. This would be great read-aloud, too.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I read a book like this, I get super ambitious. I'm gonna start a farm! And grow all my own vegetables! And compost!! I can start composting to grow better vegetables, and sell the surplus and trade with other people!

And then I remember I have no free time and have managed to kill a cactus. (It lived for over a decade, though, so who knows?)

This would be a great book for kicking off a garden-themed program, though!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

All you need to create a farm anywhere is soil, sunshine, water, and a seed. Which means you can make a farm just about anywhere! The book shows children and adults working together to make a garden in an empty lot. They find things in the garbage to use as pots and places for soil. The book also shows the kind of insects and animals that you might find in an urban garden, including neighbors who are excited by the green changes.

Root writes with a lovely warm tone, inviting readers along on this gardening adventure. The use of an urban setting is great to see in a picture book, especially showing children the creation of the space from the empty lot into a green center of activity. Root uses repetition and rhymes, creating a picture book that is a joy to share aloud. There is a wonderful playful nature about the book, the garden and the bounty.

Karas always creates a delightful feel in the picture books he illustrates. The children he shows are of various races and backgrounds. He shows a vibrant urban setting, filled with activity and energy. It’s just the sort of place that feels like something could happen, and here we get to see it from the ground up, literally.

A strong addition to gardening picture books, this is a perfect read aloud for spring. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an inspiring read. Encouraging children to love the environment and grow their own plants no matter what their circumstances. You can plant anywhere you want. Some fun and creative ideas for growing containers are given to children, such and shoes or horns.

This book would be a great read with young children to enthuse them to grow, the large variety of produce listed in the text would really spark further questions and exploration of what can grow, even stretching to climate conditions for growing and more for science.

The rhyming story is enjoyable, and the inclusive, subtle nature of the images simply includes all children in growing, without even the need to mention their differences, just as it should be.
So relevant today, as climate change becomes more and more pressing, growing more plants is a simple and wonderful way to help children 'do their bit' for their environment, and learn the value of the products they eat.

[Elizabeth Moreau Nicolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic toddler and preschool storytime book. Great rhyme scheme. The question and answer format works well. Lovely illustrations.

[Emma Jope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Anywhere Farm
Author: Phyllis Root
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Genre: Nonfiction
Theme(s): Gardening
Opening line/sentence: “For an anywhere farm, here’s all that you need: soil, and sunshine, some water, a seed.
Brief Book Summary: This book teaches kids how and where to plant things. Farms can be started anywhere, from a trumpet to a windowsill. It shows kids that there are endless possibilities to where a farm can be started.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The Classroom Bookshelf wrote that the book is both entertaining and informative, with which I could not agree more. There is a great balance between both, making me think that it will really pull students in. Publishers Weekly called the book a “cheerful celebration of community,” which I agree with. This would be great for students who live in an urban setting, who may think that they won’t be able to have a garden because of their setting, but this book shows that there can truly be a garden anywhere.
Tell Me Framework:
Like(s): I like that the information given was delivered in a fun way but was truly helpful and eye-opening.
Dislike(s): I dislike the use of the word “fat” used to describe things throughout the story, especially in comparison to “skinny.”
Patterns(s): There was some rhyming throughout the story.
Puzzle(s): In the beginning of the story, it is stated that you need a seed, soil, sunlight and water to start an anywhere farm. At the end, it says all you need is a farmer and a seed. I think that might lead to some questions being asked about what exactly is needed.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book to start a planting activity. I would have the students plan out a classroom garden together, and then eventually we would put together a pot of plants and monitor their growth throughout the year.

[Pamela Hatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: For an anywhere farm, here's all that you need: soil and sunshine, some water, a seed. (from book jacket)

I was looking for books on farming to create a homeschool curriculum on vegetables and vegetable gardening. This one looked very interesting and one that I thought would branch out the topic to everyone (not just those in the country or with a large planting space).

So here the term farm is used to mean anywhere that a seed has been planted and monitored and cared for and harvested. The farm could be vegetables, or flowers, or both. It could be one plant or many plants, one person, or many. The book gives all kinds of options, for all kinds of people, in all kinds of circumstances.

The illustrations by G. Brian Karas are charming and add lots to the simple rhyming narrative. The illustrations show the creativity of the farmers, their enthusiasm in watching the plants grow and the joy of harvesting and sharing with others as well as the beauty of the garden as it grows and expands into an anywhere garden...everywhere.

[Andra Land · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anywhere Farm is a book about the possibility of planting seeds any and everywhere, and the only four key components are a seed, water, sunlight, and soil. Then the results are endless, and any seed can be planted in any container. They show endless possibilities regarding the plants and their containers.

The overall theme of Anywhere Farm is that you can plant anything anywhere as long as you have the four components: a seed, sunlight, water, and soil.

Anywhere Farm is not your traditional book because it lacks a plot , but it is great for a children's book. That does not take away from the book however.

I would recommend Anywhere Farm for the plant project that most elementary teachers teach to show how creative the students can get with their plant homes. The book teaches the importance of taking care of the plants and shows the result of all their hard work.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For any anywhere farm, here's all that you need: soil and sunshine, some water, a seed.
You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start. Who knows what plants you may choose to grow and who will come to see your new garden? Phyllis Root delivers a modern rhyming mantra for anyone hoping to put their green thumbs to good use, while G. Brian Karas s cheerful urban illustrations sprout from every page. After all, anywhere can be a farm all it takes is one small seed and someone to plant it."

[Abigail Breaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells of an "anywhere farm", which captures the idea that you can take flowers and plants and veggies anywhere you go and share them with others because it's really simple. I would definitely incorporate this into a lesson on rhyming seeing as the book has a little beat to it. I think that if you planned it correctly you could also definitely use this book as part of a science lesson. It would be neat to tie english and science together and maybe have the students read the book and then plant a seed that they'd nurture over the next few weeks/months until it sprouted and could be brought home!

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite line in this book isn't in the text, it's on the back jacket flap where Root (and isn't that name appropriate for this book? says "Putting seeds in the ground and watching them grow is an act of hope." Always true, and especially true now in these scary times.

A tribute to community gardening and city gardening, in Seussian verse by one of the best picture book authors out there. Don't worry, there's diversity here too in Karas's well done illustrations, even a character (prominent on the cover) in a wheelchair. Read this book, and start planting--everywhere.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book that shows the power of gardening, farming, and community relations as a means to build relationships, to learn a new skill, to argue against capitalism, and to try new things.  Both the author and the illustrator put so much thought into this by offering so many ways to make this work and by offering such a broad degree of diversity in the illustrations.  This picture book is truly something else, truly something ecofeminist, Marxist, and ultimately beautiful.  Great for kids K-4.

Review cross-listed here!

[Aileen Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the manager of my town's local farmers' market, and the wife of a husband who grows tomatoes, onions, and black raspberries in raised beds in our city back yard, I loved this book "Anywhere Farm". I think all children should experience growing flowers, fruits, or vegetables and Phyllis Root encourages them to do so anywhere and in perfect rhyme. Even the smallest pot or an old tire in an abandoned lot can be a garden. And G. Brian Karas's lovely illustrations bring growing things to life and add vibrance to an encouraging story.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhyming text encourages readers that an anywhere can sprout up anywhere, grow a variety of plants, and just might revolutionize a neighborhood.

I love this well-rhymed encouragement that anyone has a spot to grow a little something. The illustrations depict people in an inner city environment who find all sorts of creative spots to grow plants. Read this one with The Curious Garden and The Gardener by Stewart for some great read alikes that encourage urban gardening.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many children will find this inspiring. There are no details given, but of course there are lots of other books and web pages that will provide those. This is just a friendly little plot-less story that will 'plant the seed' of the idea in the readers' imaginations. Root's goal is for an 'everywhere farm' which is cute. Reminds me of history, of Victory Gardens. I am a big fan of growing at least a few fresh vegetables and I agree that more families should.

[Norah C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book as the illustrations and the way the author introduces gardening/farming was extremely well-done. The text has a Seussian feeling in the way that it rhymes and some words—particularly "anywhere"—are repeated. I also enjoyed the question-and-answer format, as it answers wondering thoughts that the audience reading it might not have had. Very cute, very well-done! I'd read this to a classroom anytime!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Plant an anywhere farm anywhere that you like.”

All you need is some soil, sunshine, some water and a seed, and you can grow an anywhere garden. And once you have an anywhere garden, you can encourage others to grow one, as well. You can plant anything you want: kale i a pail, corn in a horn. And soon, you have a neighborhood garden.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This empowering little book urges young people to view making the world green as a possibility within everyone's reach, just about everywhere. I love the details about where, how, and who can make a "farm", and the encouragement it gives young readers. And Karas' illustrations are always warm and engaging.

[Chris Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for all the schools stating gardens. It allows students to think about how little you need and how much you can do. The illustrations are not a detailed how to book, but could leave the students dreaming of possibilities out in the dirt of the world.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anywhere Farm ended my garden/growing storytime as a way to show that anyone can grow a garden anywhere. I loved the concept of the book and the inclusive illustrations and reading the book aloud to my small storytime group was a big hit.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written verse carries this story along to the accompaniment of soft, welcoming illustrations. I loved the encouraging idea that anyone anywhere could start growing things with very few resources needed.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so precious, but it didn't go over too well in my younger 2s Storytime, though I'm confident it would work well with an older group. The narrative is about all the different places you can plant a "farm," like "corn in a horn" or "kale in a pail" !

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story that encourages the reader to plant something anywhere. The text rhymes and the illustrations are inclusive and calming. I tend to kill lots of plants so it’s hard for me to go along with “you only need soil, Sunshine, water and a seed” to make something grow. Haha

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book to inspire children to grow more plants. I enjoyed the start with where you are and with what you have perspective. However, I didn't find the story line particularly memorable, and found it lacking the discussion of plant food for potted plants.