From the Garden: A Counting Book About Growing Food

by Michael Dahl, Todd Irving Ouren (Illustrator)

Introduces the numbers from one to twelve as family members pick a variety of vegetables from the garden. Readers are invited to find hidden numbers on an illustrated activity page.

Genres: Picture Books, Counting, Food, Number, Gardening, Storytime, Childrens

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Michael Dahl is the author of over 200 books for children and young adults, including the acclaimed Finnegan Zwake mystery series and The Library of Doom. His works have earned Edgar and Anthony Award nominations and national design honors. As Editorial Director at Stone Arch Books, he champions engaging, award-winning stories that inspire young readers everywhere.

He also writes under aliases Chris Carey, Rick Thomas, and Mark Ziegler.

Reviews

[Alicia]

I read this in preparation for my gardening storytime. The book goes through counting 1 to 12 and shows items from the garden in each example. I enjoyed that there was a little extra to the counting book concept, but it's not something that I would use in a gardening storytime.

For: fans of gardens; readers looking for a counting book with additional substance.

Possible red flags: some may find the book too simple.

[Staci]

We loved this book! It’s interactive and full of learning moments. The illustrations are adorable, and it kept everyone engaged from start to finish. This Book will have you counting on each page as the family harvest from their garden, for dinner. It is an adorable book, that kept my family well entertain for such a simple book.

[Natasha (Tasha Talks Books)]

A good counting story that also teaches about healthy eating.

[Colorado Buck]

was a cute book - what a large family. they make a salad out of all the food at the end.

[Maeve]

A counting book about growing your own food...and enjoying it, too!

[Victoria Morrison]

Cute, interesting way to arouse attention to counting and using resources to feed ourselves at home!

[Halie]

I thought this book was really cute, and I enjoyed the illustrations. I like the fact that it goes past the number 10 but not all the way to 20, so it can ease kids into counting to 20.

[Jerri Miller]

1. Counting- Picture Book

2. A book that tells of different people coming together to gather vegetables from the garden in order to make a yummy salad for 12 all emphasizing route counting and number sense.

3. a. Illustrations and concept

b. I thought this book brought counting to life. The author gives the young reader the understanding that you can count anything…even vegetables! The big bold pictures and font make it easily captivating and interesting. The numbers are in all capital letters to make them stand out within the text. The numbers are also shown on the sides of each page and are given in number form, written form, and in dots to assist in number sense.

c. I loved all the pictures in this book because of the bigness and boldness of them. However, on page 20 and 21 we see the little boy who is telling the story with his arms overflowing with peppers of all colors and I think that it is very eye catching. We can also see the number eleven on the right side of the page given in the three different forms and how within the text the number eleven is written in all caps.

4. This would be a great idea for preschool or Kindergarten age children. You could use the same concept and bring in ingredients for another recipe and the students could count them out and mirror the book in a way. For instance, the students could make fruit salad, etc. This would also be good to use as just an opening for a lesson on counting and then the students could spend the rest of the time counting different objects.

[Heidi]

From the Garden, by Michael Dahl ( Picture Window Books 2004) 24 p. Counting Picture Book

Summary - The whole family pitches in to collect delicious vegetables for the family dinner that night. Come count and identify what each member finds in the garden!

Critique – Totality of the book.

(B). At first glance, this appears to be a typical,cute counting book. However, when you reach the end, it surprises its reader by becoming a complete curriculum for an entire grade level.

(c) In the back of the book there are fun facts about vegetables (p.22); a “find the number” scavenger hunt (p23); tips for an observation walk ; and a glossary, index ,and web advice (p.24). Making this a “spectacular salad from the garden” (p.20 & 21) of learning.

Curriculum Connection - Obviously it could be used to teach counting, but it could also be used for other classes as well. Health classes could sample and describe the health benefits of each vegetable. They could make posters and advocate their favorite veggie. Science classes could grow seeds from each of these vegetables and learn the concept behind it. English classes could use this book on how to use a glossary and index. Each student could make a glossary and index for a book of their choice.

[Russell]

The hidden numbers help keep this counting book from descending into the pit of boring awfulness that most of its peers reside in. As with most counting stories centered around a coherent storyline, we're introduced to a rather large assortment of characters to keep the count fresh.

[Melanie Hetrick]

A good book for the end of storytime when kids are getting squirmy. They can also help count and find the hidden numbers in each picture.

[Mckinley]

Good things happen when people come together.

[Julie]

Great book about healthy choices like fruits & vegetables, with the added element of counting. Introduced some new vegetables that are not as common and with which children may not be familiar.

[Paula]

Counting the fixings for a good salad.

[CFAITC]

Learn the numbers one to 12 by counting things in the garden.

[Kris Odahowski]

Capstone creates a brightly illustrated counting book from the garden, members of a family pick vegetables from the garden to make a salad. Check it out here-http://tinyurl.com/og2s362