Companion Resources

From apple cores to zinnia heads, readers will discover the best ingredients for a successful compost pile. How do you start a compost pile? What's safe to include? This book provides the answers.

Meet worm. He might be little. He might have no hands. But worm would love to make a sandwich, just for you! To get started he'll need just one thing: garbage! Delicious, delectable garbage like apple cores and mushy grapes, broccoli bottoms and carrot tops, sad celery, and drippy cucumbers. Worm and his friends eat the garbage. And then they do what everyone does after they eat garbage. They poop! The poop goes in the compost and the compost goes in your garden, which is where the vegetables for your sandwich come from! Simple, right? Worm thought you'd agree. He might just need a bit of assistance along the way... This hilarious, engaging picture book is the perfect introduction to the process of composting from start to finish, told from the perspective of one little worm who is very eager to help.

With vibrant illustrations and simple explanations, Our Food Grows shows how fruits, vegetables, and grains make their way from the farm to our plates. Perfect for curious kids and budding gardeners, this engaging introduction to where our food comes from reveals the magic of growing your own garden. An Educator's Guide for preK-1st grade is available.

On a farm, each season arrives with new jobs to do—crops to plant, animals to tend to, and fields to harvest. Readers get an insider's look at what spring, summer, fall, and winter look like on a family farm, from adorable baby animals to rumbling tractors and pumpkins to pies. This sweet, rhyming story is perfect for young readers, whether their home is on a farm or not!

Told from Akeem's perspective, Akeem Keeps Bees begins with the arrival and installation of a package of bees and follows Akeem and his Dad throughout the year as they inspect the hive, find the queen, deal with a swarm, harvest honey, and prepare for winter. Every part of the process is illustrated for young readers, teaching them the special role that bees play on a farm. The author, Kamal Bell, is a leading voice among Black farmers educating and inspiring Black youth about farming and beekeeping.

Before we eat, many people work very hard—planting grain, catching fish, tending farm animals, and filling crates of vegetables. With vibrant illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian, this book reminds us what must happen before food gets to our tables to nourish our bodies and spirits.

When Jun moves from Hong Kong to America, the only words she knows are hello, thank you, I don't know, and toilet. Her new school feels foreign and terrifying. But when she opens her lunchbox to find her favorite meals—like bao, dumplings, and bok choy—she realizes home isn't so far away after all. Through lush art and spare dialogue, Cherry Mo's breathtakingly beautiful debut picture book reminds readers that friendship and belonging can be found in every bite.

Each child is thinking of a farm animal. What do the animals look like? What noises do they make? Read the clues, make a guess, and pull the slider to reveal the animal hiding in the beautifully illustrated scene.

Farmers work hard to give us the food or products we need to survive. Learn about many different types of farmers including dairy, fruit and vegetable, maple syrup, beekeepers, animal farming, orchards, and Christmas tree farms.

Fish are unusual farm animals and they're also one of the most interesting. Young readers with an interest in animals will delight in this book, which explores the fascinating world of raising fish on the farm. Paired with colorful images, the age-appropriate text teaches readers all about fish, how to care for them, and the role they play on a farm.

Spend a day with Carl the Channel Catfish as he gives a rhyming tour of his daily life on a fish farm in South Georgia. This educational book contains real-life environmental photos as well as illustrations of Carl, our narrator. Children will learn what aquaculture is, what kinds of organisms can be farmed in aquaculture, how fish are farmed, and what equipment is used.

Apples for Cider is a delightful picture book that takes young readers on a charming adventure through an apple orchard. The story follows a little girl and her grandmother as they set out to pick apples for making cider. As they wander through the orchard, filling their baskets with ripe, juicy apples, they become separated and encounter other whimsical characters along the way. Will they find each other again and gather enough apples for their cider-making plans? A Parent/Teacher Guide is available to accompany the book.