Grow! Raise! Catch!: How We Get Our Food

by Shelley Rotner

A lively look at where our food comes from, and the hardworking people who produce it.

Farmers and fishermen show off their bounty in this celebration of agriculture and healthy eating!

Bright, enticing photographs of plants, animals, and the people who work to raise them are paired with an accessible text explaining the different kinds of farms that produce our food.  Fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, meat, eggs, and fish are represented, with notes on where and how they grow, and what we make from them. 

Grow! Raise! Catch! offers a breakdown of the farm-to-table process perfect for preschoolers and kindergarten students.  Includes a glossary of important terms introduced in the text, and an author's note on how eating fresh foods helps you stay healthy.

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Finalist for the SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Nature, Environment, Childrens, Gardening

32 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2017

About the author

When I was five, I refused to go to kindergarten. I declared it was for babies. I already knew how to read, but what really bothered me the most was that the kids mixed up the paintbrushes and colors at the easel so there was never true blue, red, yellow or green. Every time my teacher turned her back, I left the room and headed to the first grade class diagonally across the hall. Luckily, I had a friend there who happily shared her desk with me until the teacher noticed and sent me back to kindergarten. After many successful escapes, a trip to the principal and some testing, I was officially moved to that first grade class with beautiful autumn leaves painted on the door.

Reviews

[Peacegal]

GROW! RAISE! CATCH! is a colorful Juvenile Nonfiction book full of appealing photos. A multicultural collection of producers and children are depicted throughout the text.

The unfortunate aspect of this book is, like so much other kid lit about farming, is that it depicts food as we wish it was produced, rather than how it is actually produced. While farmers' markets are briefly mentioned and pictured on the first page, nowhere does the text note the truth that little private farms are the exception, not the rule in modern food production. Why does it matter? Well, seeing as in the US, 99.9 percent of 'broiler' chickens, 97 percent of laying hens, 99 percent of turkeys, 95 percent of pigs, and 78 percent of cattle are raised in industrial-style conditions, we can pretty much be assured that nearly all of the animals we eat come from these highly problematic places.

It's only through the efforts of informed consumers that things will change. Even children's books can--and have--discussed factory vs. small farms, and ways that we can all make better choices while shopping and eating to reflect the type of world we want. This information could have been a vital, and vitally needed, final page of GROW! RAISE! CATCH!

[Jessie]

This book is illustrated with pictures of people who help us get food, food, production of food, and kids enjoying food. The book does a good job of covering a variety of food and means of production. It talks about a lot of different types of crops, raising different animals, and catching different sea creatures. It discusses some of these at different scales (specifically mentioning family farms and community gardens near the end).

[emyrose8]

Many times when I think 'farmer', I only think about the people who grow corn/soybeans/livestock, but farmer includes many other types of food too. This book covers a ton of them! Each page is clustered with pictures of the people who grow/raise/catch the food, people eating the food, or just the food itself. There is a little poem or quote from someone who is involved with that particular food. Neat!

[Tompkins County Public Library Youth Services]

Would you like your child to know where their food comes from? If you’re interested in teaching your child about sustainable food practices, this is a great place to start. I’ve always loved Rotner’s photographic essay style of presenting facts about our wonderful world to children. Her lovely, humanistic photography, and natural multiculturalism bring this simple, but full-of-facts picture book to life

[Jo Oehrlein]

Photo illustrations of where our food comes from. Good to go with curriculum on nutrition, especially anything that emphasizes eating real/whole/unprocessed food. Could also go well explaining the jobs of farmer and fisher or before starting a family/school/community garden.

[Brooke Call]

I chose this book because I liked that it explained where our food comes from. I liked that it showed kids what types of farmers there are and that real people actually grow our food. I also liked that the book included pictures of kids growing fruits and vegetables because it showed the kids that they can grow their own food if they wanted to.

[Desi A]

JP and I both really like this. The photos are vibrant and the descriptions and info are age appropriate. Whenever we read it, he asks for a giant plate of vegetables. Can’t argue with that.

[Kelly]

A fun and educational book about food.

[Michelle Gray]

this will be great in a preschool steam program about farms, plants, or healthy eating

[Crystal]

Preschool – Grade 2. Most of us buy food at the store. But where does food come from? And who produces it? A plethora of photographs (bright and colorful, except for a few vintage black & whites in the beginning) accompany this exploration of the food industry. The ocean provides fish, dairy farms supply milk and meat, fields of wheat yield foods like bread and pasta. Showcased in their working environment, fisherman hoist their catch and farmers pose with their crops or livestock. With each turn of the page, we see people of all ages across the world enjoying varieties of foods. Quotes interspersed throughout the book—from farmers telling us what they do and why they like their work—create an engaging conversational tone. Rotner also points out a handful of facts that should fascinate young readers: blueberries are one of the only blue colored foods, while seeds on their skins make strawberries unique to the fruit family. A glossary of ten words emphasizes key concepts introduced in the text. And on the back page, a “Did You Know?” section explains how wholesome foods benefit the human body. Images of smiling people, coupled with Rotner’s expository style, should encourage young readers to associate positive feelings with healthy eating as well as to instill an appreciation for the earth and for those who give us the foods that we eat.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara]

In a world in which many of us take the food we eat for granted, this colorful photo essay provides vivid reminders of the origin of those delicious fruits, vegetables, and meats. The text is informative, filled with interesting snippets about various foods, and the photos show youngsters and adults working alongside one another or devouring the fruits of their labors. I like how the book is designed and how happy and healthy all of its subjects appear to be, possibly giving readers a reason to eat foods that will make them feel good as well as inspiring them to grow some of these foods on their own. Although the book contains more text than some of this author/photographer's earlier work, the text does not detract from readers' enjoyment of the book and its contents. Undoubtedly, this book deserves a place on classroom shelves so that teachers can use it to introduce their students to food sources, among other lessons.

[Teresa Bateman]

Where do we get our food? In the past that answer was one most children knew because they were part of the process. This book introduces children to farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and others involved in getting food from farm or sea to table. (Hunting is not included.) Vibrant photographs are showcased in multiple boxes on each page showing people of all ages from many ethnicities involved in food production. A box or two also contains text against a colorful background. While the text is a little rambling and occasionally oddly organized it personalizes the experience and provides good information. the eye appeal of this book is extraordinary. It merits a place in any library serving children.

[Karen Szymusiak]

I grew up growing vegetables in our garden and catching fish from the lake. So this book fascinated me because so many children do not have those experiences. This is a wonderful nonfiction book about who the people are that produce the food we eat. The pages are packed with beautiful photographs of farmers, fisherman and the children and families who enjoy the food that comes from our gardens, orchards, fields and lakes. This is a great nonfiction book to add to classroom libraries.

[Joan Arbogast]

Beautiful photos, simple text explains where our food comes from. The book is dedicated to farmers and fishermen who labor to bring us food. Back matter includes a glossary and Did You Know section.
Great addition to anyone's nonfiction section.

[Edward Sullivan]

Good introduction to where our food comes from and who is responsible for bringing it to us.

[Daphne]

Wonderful overview of the origins of our daily food using clear facts and gorgeous photographs. Perfect for children (of all ages) and an excellent conversation-starter about lots of current topics.

[KC]

Fantastic journey of food, farming, and our participation. Great pictures and color coded with easy text.

[Tracy Holland]

From farm, lake, ocean food is produced for our consumption. To help students understand where food comes from, this book looks at the jobs the produce that we eat. Many interesting facts, including the fact that corn always has an even number of rows, fill the pages of this book about the origin of the food we eat.

[Jesse]

An important read for kids (and some adults) to understand where the food we eat comes from. Large, bright, close-up photographs of people (mostly children) will keep readers engaged and drawing parallels to their own lives. I even learned new things from this one and Berry was very interested in all of the people.