Right This Very Minute: A Table-to-Farm Book About Food and Farming

by Lisl H. Detlefsen, Renee Kurilla (Illustrations)

What's that you say? You're hungry? Right this very minute? Then you need a farmer. You have the stories of so many right here on your table! Award winners Lisl H. Detlefsen and Renee Kurilla's delicious celebration of food and farming is sure to inspire readers of all ages to learn more about where their food comes from - right this very minute!

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Food, Childrens, Nutrition, Science Nature, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 2019

About the author

Lisl H. Detlefsen lives on a cranberry marsh near Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, with her husband and two sons. She writes while she watches wildlife wander past her office window. Her favorite part of the year is when it's time for harvest.

Lisl is represented by agent Jennifer Mattson of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying I might be slightly biased, but this book is delightful. Full disclosure, I was part of the team who helped select this manuscript at my day job. We helped select the illustrator — who is amazing — and ensured the accuracy of the story and illustrations. Hands down one of the coolest things I've ever worked on. And the result is just wonderful. A great read-aloud with gorgeous illustrations. I'm pretty sure anyone I know who has kids is getting a copy of it for Christmas.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, rhythmic nonfiction, tons of interesting facts (new learning for me too!) and a few text features. Essential for a plants unit.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from the Feeding Minds Press through SLJ Picture Book Palooza.
Detlefsen shows readers how important farms are as she starts with different plates of food and tracks back to a farm where the food items were grown or raised. Brightly colored illustrations pull young readers in to see how essential farming is. This is a terrific family read aloud for preschoolers and young elementary level.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You have the stories of so many, right here on your table.”

Where does our food come from? The book walks us through every meal of the day and talks about all the people who work to ensure that we have food on our table. From farmers furrowing wheat fields to peanut farmers installing soil sensors; from beekeepers and apple growers working together to grow a successful apple crop to a grower in a cranberry marsh that checks the sprinklers at night to make sure the crop doesn’t freeze.

A nice introduction for students.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shows how a lot of different kinds of farm work go into different foods.

The "right this very minute" framing hides a lot of seasonality, though.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun way for kids to learn about agriculture and how the foods we eat are produced and cared for on the way to our tables! The illustrations are as informative as they are adorable!

[Raj Bowers-Racine · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are hundreds of kids book that explain farming in terms so vague that they're almost useless (The farmer plants seeds! The farmer milks cows!). That's great for some kids, but some kids want details. This book is wonderful for the curious kids, the "why?" kids.

While far from exhaustive, it dives into as much of the nitty-gritty as a kid can handle. Soil moisture sensors, crop rotation, frost protection, planting depth and more all get a name check. These concepts and practices aren't explained, but the terminology is more than enough to lead to some impromptu online research.

All this this is presented in colorful, accessible pages that move along at a satisfying clip. Highly recommended for any families that want to explain the philosophy behind the trendy "farm-to-table" movement to the under-8 set.

[Amanda R. Mory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my daughter for Easter this year, as we are anticipating the Spring season! We are a garden family and love planting seeds and watching them grow with our kids! We love teaching them about eating healthy and producing your own harvest! This book was fantastic!!! As I was reading it to my kids, my daughter says “Are they really milking cows right now?” Yes they are peanut! This book teaches families how the food we eat at every meal is the production of some very hard work! Fantastic….a must read for your family!!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This vibrantly illustrated and informative book gives just enough detail about where your food (examples of breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner & dessert) comes from. A great title to use when learning about farming and producers/consumers.

Teaching points: farming, producers/consumers

Location: LES library

[Jamie Jarrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book; I thought it was very educational and thought out. This book has beautiful illustrations with a lot of detail, and the literature is very well thought out. I like that this book teaches children where their food comes from outside of the grocery store and explains how food comes from a farm and not from a box.

[Yapha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit over-simplified but a good introduction to young children that the food doesn't magically appear at the grocery store. I was a bit shocked at the line about harvesting cows for hamburgers, but otherwise great information on modern farming. For grades K & up.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walks you through a day of eating and describes where the food comes from. Lovely ode to farmers - great read for a pre-cooking class, farmer's market outing, or growing things storytime. Lovely, bright illustrations.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about where different foods come from and all the people and hard work that makes it happen. Thank you to the publisher for the electronic arc of this book. I can’t wait to share it with my younger students!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book that inspires me to do more things with my kids, and while reading this I realized we definitely need to go experience the Farmer's Market! I love how the information is relayed in this book - simple but not childish. An excellent addition to any unit on Food, Farmers or Plants!

[HPS · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t think that this is a good book because it is too long! Cool idea that should have been shorter! 👎

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book about how farmers grow food to feed us all.

[Shantell Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very thoughtful. It actually presents different kinds of food that we eat and illustrates how farms operate.

[Jennifer]

I received an eSample courtesy of Feeding Minds Press.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great way to start a conversation and get children to think about where their food comes from and who helps bring their food(s) to the table! Food is not magical! It doesn't just appear on the grocery store shelves or at the Farmer's Market. There is so much that is involved, and this is a beautiful way of showing kids more. Love the illustrations; love the multicultural aspect.