Little Homesteader

March 1, 2022

K-Gr 2-Families and classroom teachers looking for ways to get children outside and appreciate the world around them will find this practical guide to spring activities and recipes very helpful. Ferraro-Fanning covers the plants, animals, and holidays often associated with spring. Each activity includes numbered and illustrated instructions, with a clear list of materials, as well as helpful tips. Activities are interspersed with information about the season, including a child-friendly introduction to phenology, a guide to greens and flowers that bloom in the spring, and an overview of the baby animals children might see on a farm. A table of contents will help adults and children navigate to the appropriate content. This text is designed for exploration and will be a great resource for those interested in creating and cooking with materials found in nature. The illustrations are dominated by greens, yellows, and blues, and the young children and animals featured are reminiscent of Little Golden Books' characters, sometimes giving this a vintage look. When introducing plants, the layout of illustrations and text have more of a field guide feel and will help young naturalists identify wildflowers and greens in the spring. With a promised volume covering summer as a follow-up, this is an excellent guide to getting young children to interpret and interact with nature. VERDICT A solid purchase for any collection looking for nature-based crafts and recipes for families.-Louie Lauer

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April 1, 2022
Grades K-3 Two rosy-cheeked children spend a season connecting with nature through crafts, cooking, and gardening projects in this sweetly illustrated book that introduces small-scale self-sufficiency to curious families. After a quick look at "The Magic of Spring," readers are offered a range of activities that raise ecological awareness and promote a thoughtful relationship with the land. Phenology and duckling baths are an ambitious starting point for true beginners, but strawberry jam, foraged wind chimes, and pleasingly illustrated surveys of edible flowers and greens prove more approachable. Many of the activities are manageable in small spaces, which extends the book's appeal to apartment dwellers and hands-on science educators. The first in a planned four-book series (Little Homesteaders), this hands-on guide may be just what young readers need to tend to their bookshelves as well as the Earth.

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September 13, 2021
Rosy-cheeked children of varying skin tones walk readers through cold-weather activities in this cozy amalgam aimed at readers in northern climes. After an introductory spread, subsequent pages offer straightforward recipes for hot cocoa, bread, and candied orange slices (reminders to ask for adult help are manifold), while crafts include a pinecone bird feeder, evergreen paintbrushes, and winter solstice lanterns. Ferraro-Fanning also details winter crops such as tree sap and citrus fruits, and nature-focused activities invite readers to tap trees and spot winter wildlife. Soft colored pencil illustrations by AnneliesDraws clearly attend the range of information presented. Though instructions aren’t always fully fleshed, and the book elides any mention of homesteading’s complicated history, the wealth of simple activities will please. Ages 5–8.