Down on the Farm

While there is no shortage of books about farms, Our Farm: Four Seasons With Five Kids on One Family Farm is pretty special. For one thing, it's packed with fantastic pictures. More importantly, (mostly) everything is told from the children's perspectives, all the way from seventeen year old Caleb to four year old Ali. We are introduced one by one to each child: his/her interests, what they think about their brothers/sister (Ali is the only girl), career interests, and special tasks that he/she is in charge of. We also met Mom (Becky), Dad (Dave), and the farm dogs.

From then on, the children take charge of the narration, with Mom and Dad rarely commenting. Different seasons bring different tasks, duties, and fun. We read about artificial insemination of cows, raising baby chicks, and the effect of calf losses. Although there are tasks to be done and school work to finish, the children have many opportunities to play and explore. Although written for children, this is a fun read for anyone intrigued by farm life.