Farmer George Plants a Nation
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Education Recommended Book
Besides being a general and the first president of the United States, did you know that George Washington was also a farmer? Here's a look at America's first President as he's rarely seen.
George Washington was the first leader of our country—but he was also an inventor, scientist, and the most forward-thinking farmer of his time. As he worked to make the new country independent, he also struggled to create a self-sufficient farm at Mount Vernon, Virginia. Excerpts from Washington's writings are featured throughout this nonfiction picture book, which also includes a timeline, resource section, as well as essays on Washington at Mount Vernon and his thoughts on slavery. Both the author and illustrator worked closely with the staff of Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens to render an accurate portrait of Farmer George at work.
Nebraska Farm Bureau Children’s Agriculture Book of the Year
Ohio Farm Bureau’s Children’s Book Award
A Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Book of the Year
Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thomas (Joshua the Giant Frog) and Johnson (Remembering Grandpa) depict George Washington as a forward-thinking farmer dedicated to making Mount Vernon a self-sufficient, profitable plantation. Emphasizing Washington's innovative thinking and experimentation, the narrative explains how he invented a plow to streamline the planting of crops, rotated his crops and tested different fertilizers, bred donkeys and horses to create strong mules and designed a treading barn with 16 sides. Quotes from Washington's diaries and letters, presented in script outside the main text, demonstrate his devotion to improving his farm and lend credence to the author's assertion that "George's thoughts were never far from home," even during the Revolution and his presidency. Thomas's history is extremely detailed, full of facts that bring the 18th-century farm to life. She also addresses the obvious paradox: she concludes her work by praising Washington for "plant the seed of freedom on the battlefield," then explores his role as the owner of slaves in an endnote. Johnson's representational paintings, all of them flattering, incorporate symbols like bald eagles but also illuminate the workings of the plantation; a cutaway view of the 16-sided barn is especially helpful. A useful look at a lesser-known aspect of Washington's achievements. Ages 8-up.
