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Cows Have Four Stomachs!
The Charms of US Farms: Finding Out How Things Work follows a class visiting two farms who discover how important farm work is to everyday life. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration for the story came from my interaction with students around the time of the pandemic. I discovered children were befuddled when I asked if they knew where food came from. Most simply answered “the grocery story”. When I asked about clothing, the response was similar. They were interested, curious and often surprised to find how the natural world provides for us in so many ways.
The book teaches a lot without ever feeling like a lesson. How did you balance storytelling with information?
It was easy to see-saw facts with fun in my story line. For instance, cows are providers of meat and many other products for us, and the fun fact is they have 4 stomachs! Farm matters abound with those types of things. They are inherent to the theme of farming. Corn? Sure, we eat it, but it’s used to make our crayons, paints and paper, too!
How do you imagine teachers using this book in the classroom?
Farming is taught in elementary grades. Sometimes students have the opportunity to plant and grow their own vegetables or visit local farms for school trips and educational experiences. Reading The Charms of US Farms is an engaging way to further integrate lessons about farming in the Language Arts curriculum.
Elementary studies include science (i.e. animal life cycles) and math (i.e. measuring plant growth), both conducive times to introduce the book to students.
Will this book be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
The Charms of US Farms is the start of a series of early readers revealing how “extraordinary” the seemingly “ordinary” things in our natural world truly are.
Illustrator Ann Pilicer and I are thrilled to share The Charms book, and hope it sparks a little inspiration for younger generations and readers around the world.
Author Website
The Charms of US Farms
When I finished The Charms of US Farms I sat back and smiled because the whole story feels like a warm class trip rolled into a picture book. It follows a group of kids as they head out to visit two farms where they learn about crops, animals, tractors, corn, cotton, and even how baseball connects to farming. The kids ask playful questions, the farmers share fun facts, and the day ends with everyone realizing just how much of their everyday life comes from the work done on farms.
I enjoyed the easy way the book explains big ideas. It feels light and friendly. Nothing ever gets bogged down. I also loved the characters and the way the kids react to everything. Billy starts out bored and grumbly. Then he slowly wakes up to how cool farming actually is. The writing made me feel like I was tagging along with the class. The artwork is bright, detailed, and reflects the charming nature of the story.
I also had a soft spot for the little moments that sneak up with charm. Ms. Della serving date cake. Farmer Dole casually pulling a baseball from his pocket like some kind of farm magician. The cow named Bessie leaning into scratches. These details gave the story a cozy feeling that stuck with me. The ideas in the book go beyond farms. They nudge kids to wonder where things come from. Paper. Crayons. Milk. Even clothes. I like that the book makes learning feel natural. You pick up facts without ever noticing you are learning them.
I would say this children’s book is great for kids who like field trips, animals, or anything hands-on. It would also be fun for any young reader who enjoys stories that mix real facts with friendly characters. Parents and teachers could use it to spark conversations about food, work, nature, or even history. I’d happily recommend it to early elementary kids and to grown-ups looking for a cheerful read-aloud.
Pages: 40 | ASIN : B0G1CK9BN8
LITERARY TITAN 