Grandma’s Farm by Michael Garland – Perfect Picture Book Friday

Grandma’s Farm

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Astra Young Readers, Fiction, Oct. 11, 2022

Suitable for ages: 4-8

Themes: Farm life, Intergenerational relationships, Memories

Opening: “Grandma and Timmy were taking a trip to the old farm. Timmy had visited before with Grandpa Joe, but this time would be different.”

Book Jacket Synopsis:

When Grandma Ginny lived on the farm, every day brought a new adventure, from planting and picking crops to collecting fresh eggs from the chickens coop. Some days even saw chaos, like when the unruly pigs escaped from their pen and had to be chased down by the entire family.

Now the animals are gone, the farm building rickety and abandoned, and the fields overgrown with weeds. But as Timmy listens to his grandma’s fond recollections, he sees the quiet land transformed into colorful scenes of bountiful harvest, hustle and bustle, and everyday joy and purpose.

In this companion to the beloved Grandpa’s Tractor, a grandparent and grandchild celebrate the beauty of sweeping farmland and shared family history.

Why I like Grandma’s Farm:

Michael Garland has written and illustrated a charming story about a relationship between a boy and his grandmother. There is so much heart in Grandma’s Farm as Grandma Ginny visits her old farm with Timmy. She carries with her a diary that is full of special memories she wants to share with him about his family, farm life and their many traditions.

Even though the farm house and building have fallen into disrepair, Grandma Ginny’s vivid memories of raising her family and the daily work in the lush green fields, breathe life into this beautiful story. Timmy and his grandmother travel back in time when the entire family pitches in to help. There are fruit and vegetable crops to plant and pick, cows to milk, pigs and chickens to feed, eggs to gather, and sheep to shear.

Garland’s book will speak to children. Timmy imagines how his family worked together, including his own mother and her siblings, to help with chores, cook meals together, set the table and wash dishes. They laugh, play and spend quality time together. It doesn’t get any better than that. Children will delight in Grandma Ginny’s story, and adults will reminisce about a time long ago. I know I did as I thought about my childhood visits to my uncle’s working farm.

Each Garland illustration could stand alone. They are warm and tender and recreate a life that few children will ever experience. That is why this book is so important for young readers who haven never seen a working farm. This is a stunningly illustrated celebration of family traditions and being together with loved ones.

Grandma’s Farm is a sequel to Garland’s picture book, Grandpa’s Tractor, which I have on my book shelf and gifted to an earlier generation of grandchildren. My great grandchildren will be receiving copies of this treasure. Make sure to read Garland’s comments about Grandpa’s Tractor, as it will give more information about the condition of the farm today.

Resources: Visit a working farm this spring or summer. If you don’t have a vegetable garden, plant one in your backyard. If your space is limited, plant herbs or tomatoes plants in a pot on your patio. There is nothing like getting your hands dirty.

Michael Garland, an author and illustrator of children’s picture books, including the perennially popular Grandpa’s Tractor, has won numerous awards for his work. Miss Smith and the Haunted Library made the New York Times best seller list. He is the illustrator of the Golden Kite Honor Award-winning Leah’s Pony. He recently released We’re Not Weird: Structure and Function of the Animal Kingdom. He has authored Ferry Boat, Tug Boat, Daddy Plays the Blues, Snowy Day, Christmas City, and Oh What a Christmas. He lives with his family in Patterson New York.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Reviewed from a purchased copy.

Ferry Boat by Michael Garland

Ferry Boat (I Like to Read)

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Holiday House, Fiction, Jan. 5, 2021

Suitable for ages: 4-8

Themes: Ferry Boat, Passengers, Manhattan, NYC

Opening: “We go on the ferry.”

Publisher’s Synopsis:

A blow-by-blow account of one of the most famous ferry rides in the world, this Level F book is perfect for kindergarteners and first graders to read on their own.

Breathtaking scenes illustrate and illuminate a text that is just right for new readers:

We go on the ferry.
Let’s go to the window.
We see a fort.
We see a long, long bridge.

Realistic digital etchings of the Manhattan skyline, the escalator to a gangplank, New York City crowds, and landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and more give new readers an experience that builds skills, boosts confidence, and shows how reading is fun!

This book has been officially leveled by using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient(TM) Leveling System.
The award-winning I Like to Read series features guided reading levels A through G, based upon Fountas & Pinnell standards. Acclaimed author-illustrators—including winners of Caldecott, Theodor Seuss Geisel, and Coretta Scott King honors—create original, high-quality illustrations that support comprehension of simple text and are fun for kids to read again and again with their parents, teachers or on their own!

Level F books, for early first graders, feature longer, more varied sentences than Level E. Level F books encourage kids to decode new multi-syllable words in addition to recognizing sight words. Stories are more complex, and illustrations provide support and additional detail. When Level F is mastered, follow up with Level G.

Why I like this book:

Michael Garland’s Ferry Boat is perfect for early readers. It is told from the viewpoint of a child taking a first ferry boat ride from Manhattan to the Staten and back. Through the child’s eyes readers will view the hustle and bustle of passengers boarding the ferry, peering out of large windows, viewing the skyline of Manhattan, passing Ellis Island, Castle Williams, the Verrazzano Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty.

Young readers will be enticed to explore Garland’s stunning signature illustrations. Just look at that gorgeous cover of the Ferry Boat! Each unique spread exhibits a wood grain effect that adds texture to the colorful Staten Island ferry boat, the sites and the happy activities on passengers, who reflect the diversity of New York City. The artwork is simply beautiful!

Make sure you check out a picture of a grinning five-year-old Michael Garland’s first ferry boat ride at the end of the story. His book is a labor of love and a keepsake for many. I remember my first ride as a teen..

Resources: Autumn is the perfect time to take your child for a ride on the Staten Island Ferryboat, if you visit or live near New York City. We don’t have ferry boats in Ohio, but we have historic steam boats (paddle boats) cruises along the Ohio River. You may find ferry boats and riverboats in your area if you live in Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Virginia, Seattle, WA, South Carolina and Florida. Do some research. Encourage kids to make their own boats. Check out this kid’s activities blog.

Michael Garland has written and illustrated many books for children, including Fish Had a Wish (Kirkus Reviews Top 25 Children’s Books), Tugboat (Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy), Pizza Mouse (Junior Library Guild Selection), and Birds Make Nests (Correll Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Informational Text and NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book). His art for James Patterson’s Santa Kid inspired Saks Fifth Avenue’s Christmas Holiday windows. He has also written many wonderful Christmas books. Visit his website.

Daddy Played the Blues by Michael Garland

Daddy Played the Blues

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Tilbury House Publishers, Fiction, Sep. 8, 2017

Suitable for Ages: 8-12

Themes: Music, The Blues, Family Relationships, The Great Migration, Jim Crow South

Opening: I was six years old in 1936 the day we left the farm in Mississippi.

Book Jacket Synopsis: Cassie was six years old when her family left the farm, the boll weevils, the floods, and the landlord. They could no longer scratch our a living there anymore. They journeyed north in search of a better life.

Cassie’s family joined the Great Migration from the Deep South to Chicago, where there was work to be had in the stockyards. Across the kids’ laps in the back seat of their old jalopy lay Daddy’s six-string guitar. Daddy worked hard to put food on the table, but what he loved doing most was playing the blues.

Daddy Played the Blues is a tribute to the long, ongoing African-American struggle for social and economic justice and a homage to the rich, yearning strain of American music that was born in the cotton fields and bayous of the South and transformed popular music around the world.

Why I like this book:

Garland’s story evokes the heartache for Cassie and her family who were tenant farmers in the sharecropper system during the segregated Jim Crow South. The raw pain of their hard lives is heard in the songs her father and other family members sing. The music becomes an important part of Cassie and her brother’s memories of their trip and new lives in Chicago. Garland’s story is fictional, but historically correct.

Garland’s text is as fluid as the songs Cassie’s Daddy and Uncle Vernon play on the porch steps each night after a day working in the stockyards. If they weren’t playing, they were talking about the WC Handy and Blind Lemon Jefferson or Bessie Smith. Garland highlights the lyrics from four blues songs like “The Little Red Rooster.”

Dogs begin to bark now

And the hounds begin to howl,

Dogs begin to bark now

And the hounds begin to howl,

Watch out stray cat,

The little red rooster’s on the prowl.

Garland’s illustrations are exquisite and transport readers to this bygone era. They compliment the mood of Garland’s compassionate storytelling. He pioneered a beautiful medium of digital woodcut technique that really makes this a stand-out picture book about how the blues influenced music around the globe.

Resources: Garland shares how he first heard and fell in love with blues music, becoming a lifelong fan. He has included Song Credits of some of the great artists. An eight-page Author’s Note gives context to the story and provides information about blues history and its influence on generations of popular musicians. There is also a Map of the Great Migration from 1910-1970, and a double-page spread of the eleven leading blues artists with photos and blurbs about their contribution to the musical history. This is great resource information for older students.

Michael Garland is the illustrator of 75 children’s picture books, half of which he also wrote. Miss Smith and the Haunted Library is a New York Times bestseller. His other recent books include Lost Dog, Tugboat, Car Goes Far, Fish Had a Wish, Where’s My Homework?, and Grandpa’s Tractor. Michael has been in love with blues music since first hearing it decades ago, and Daddy Played the Blues is his reverent salute to Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Lightning Hopkins, B.B. Kind and the other bluest greats. Stop by his website.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

Pizza Mouse by Miachael Garland — PPBF

Pizza Mouse

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Holiday House, Fiction, Sep. 5, 2017

Series: I Like to Read

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Mice, City life, Food

Opening: No one likes mice.

Synopsis: Life is a challenge for a city mouse. There are daily dangers and he has to survive dogs, cats, owls, and people. But when the whiskered hero of this story uncovers one of the greatest treats New York City has to offer a forager―a discarded slice of pepperoni pizza―the danger is all worth it! Now it’s up to the tiny Pizza Mouse to get the gigantic slice safely home to his family.

Why I like this book:

Michael Garland has written and illustrated a humorous book with very simple text and an engaging plot for children learning to read on their own. This city mouse narrates his story with a little bit of attitude and a lot of determination. After all, he has a family depending upon him for dinner. Mouse’s expressions are priceless. Garland’s digital illustrations are very expressive and a visual feast for children — messy trash spilling out of the can, running from a man with a broom, and darting the myriad of feet in the subway station. This story is fun and full of action as Mouse scurries about the big city. Garland’s early reader is inspired by the viral “pizza Rate” YouTube video.

Garland has published other early reader books, Big and Little Are Best Friends, Fish Had a Wish, Car Goes Far, Tugboat, and Lost Dog, which are appealing and create a positive experience or kids in preschool and kindergarten. Visit Michael Garland at his website.

Resources: Visit the Holiday House website for flashcards and activities.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book on author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit her website.

Big and Little Are Best Friends by Michael Garland

Big and Little Are Best Friends

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Orchard Books, Fiction, May 9, 2017

Suitable for Ages: 3-5

Themes: Animals, Elephants, Mice, Best Friends, Differences, Acceptance, Rhyme

Opening: Big and Little / Are best of friends. / Though the things / that they like / Are at opposite ends.

Synopsis: Big is an elephant and Little is a mouse. They are opposites in every possible way. One likes loud music, the other prefers soft. One loves hot weather, the other loves cold. One is shy and the other is bold. One wears plain, the other wears frilly. They are as different as night and day. Sometimes they fight, but they always make put their friendship first.

Why I like this book:

Michael Garland has written a timely and heartwarming story for children that celebrates tolerance. Elephant and a mouse are very different in surprising ways, but they learn to compromise and accept each other. They learn that they don’t need to change who they are in order to become best friends. Elephant and mouse discover that their differences can lead to a lot of fun when they are together. The story also breaks down some preconceived stereotypes.

Garland’s simple rhyming text includes fun synonyms and antonyms and is perfect for beginning readers. Garland’s signature double page-spreads feature lively, humorous and colorful illustrations that will appeal to children’s imaginations.

Resources: Use Garland’s concept book to teach children about opposites, like “big and little.” Ask children their favorite color, food, toy, sport, book, movie and so on. Compare the similarities and differences with siblings or classmates. Apply the idea to friendship. Would they still be friends if one liked cake and the other preferred pie? Depending upon the age of the child, you may want to include bigger topics that include diversity.

Michael Garland has 35 books in print. Four of Garland’s books are New York Times Bestsellers, and Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook won State Reading Awards in Delaware, California and Texas. He lives in Patterson, NY. You can visit Garland at his website.

Lost Dog by Michael Garland

Lost Dog

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Holiday House, Fiction, Aug. 10, 2015

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Dogs, Animals, Road trip, Lost, Grandma

Opening: “Pete went to see Grandma. She lived on Mutt Street.”

Synopsis: A big dog Pete sets off to visit his grandmother on her birthday. He carefully wraps a present, signs a birthday card and picks some flowers and heads to his little yellow car. As he drives to Mutt Street there are too many cars stuck in traffic, so he gets off at an exit and drives and drives. He finds himself at the top of a mountain and is lost. Along the way he meets a bear, a bird, a big cat, a walrus and a whale who point the way. Will Pete ever find Mutt Street and visit Grandma?

What I like about Lost Dog:

Lost Dog is an “Easy Reader” and Garland uses spare text, repetition and an engaging plot for children learning to read on their own. Garland’s signature double page-spreads feature lively, expressive and colorful illustrations that will appeal to children. Each spread highlights a host of friendly animals in their natural environment. In Pete’s journey to find his grandma on Mutt Street, Garland takes readers on a journey around the world. Lost Dog also indirectly encourages children who may become lost to ask for directions or help. It is also a great discussion book about learning to follow directions. This delightful story will engage children who will have fun pouring over the details on each page. Visit Michael Garland’s website to view all of his books.

Compliments of Michael Garland

Resources: One of the things I like about this story is that it indirectly addresses spatial issues for young children. I know my daughter had a hard time with directions and I made up games when we went to visit grandparents, a friend, or a favorite store. I would play games that helped her distinguish between right and left turns and encouraged her to memorize landmarks. Spatial training needs to begin with young children. There are many resources on the internet. Visit Laura Leticia‘s Pinterest page on Following Directions. She shares activities, games and resources to help children learn directions.

Animal School: What Class Are You?

Animal School: What Class Are You?

Michelle Lord, Author

Michael Garland, Illustrator

Holiday House, Nonfiction, July 1, 2014

Suitable for Ages: 5-9

Themes: Vertebrates, Reptiles, Fish, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Animals, Rhyming text

Opening: “Vertebrates have spines. Elephants to pygmy wrasses, vertebrates are grouped by classes. Vertebrates have spines like you, mammals, fish and reptiles too!”

Synopsis: Animal School begins with very detailed illustrations of the skeletons of five classifications of vertebrates with spines like mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Some walk on legs, while others swim, crawl, scamper or fly. Some breathe air while others live in water where oxygen flows through gills. With rhythmic text the author explores a subject many children will find fascinating.

I like this book because: it introduces children to the intriguing world of vertebrates. Michelle Lord’s knowledge of vertebrates is captured in her catchy and entertaining rhyming in each classification. She provides the appealing facts about the special characteristics of each vertebrate classification: reptiles, fish, mammals (including humans), bird, amphibians, and animals. Verses describe whether the vertebrae is cold-blooded or warm-blooded, scaly or furry, hatched or birthed from an animal. Her language is understandable and kid-friendly. Michael Garland’s “digital woodcut” illustrations of the animals and reptiles add a dramatic touch that is eye-catching and suits the preferred natural habitat. The texture really adds realism to the story. His double-page spreads are simply stunning, complimenting the story. The cover is regal.

Favorite verses and illustrations:

Reptiles: “But alligators / raise their young. / Hatchlings ride on / Mother’s tongue. / Every noise / a reptile hears / through covered holes, / not floppy ears.”

Compliments of Michael Garland

Fish: “Underwater / fishes roam. / Rivers, lakes, or seas are home. / Oxygen flows/ through their gills./ Water passes/ through these frills. /Fish are cloaked / in flaky scales, / lacking hair or / furry tails.”

Compliments of Michael Garland

Resources: At the end of the book is a chart with all five classifications, their characteristics, some of the species, examples, an afterword about “invertebrates (spineless),” and suggested websites to check out. Use this book before you take your children on a visit to a zoo, aquarium or on a walk through the woods. Visit Michelle Lord and Michael Garland’s websites to learn more about their books.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Tugboat

Tugboat

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Holiday House, Nonfiction, 2014

Suitable for ages: 4-7

Themes: Tugboats do big jobs, Transportation

Opening: “The day begins. The tugboat rests at the dock.”

Synopsis: The red tugboat named the Hudson is docked and waiting for the crew to board. The little boat is ready to do big jobs. It tugs large cargo ships into a port, pulls heavy barges filled with coal or stinky garbage, nudges a cruise ship into port, pulls tall ships and tows a barge carrying the Willis Avenue Bridge. The tugboat may seem small, but it works in all kinds of weather and is built to do important jobs that other larger boats can’t do alone.

Why I like this book: This is another captivating early reader for children by Michael Garland. The text is very simple for young children to read to themselves. Kids will also learn about the adventures of the tugboat and the life and the activity of the crew on board. If you look closely the captain of the tugboat will look very familiar. Children will pour over the double-page spreads of Garland’s colorful digital illustrations. They are stunning, realistic and give children a feel for how important a tugboat is to transportation. Tugboat is a keeper that will be read again and again. Garland has published two other early reader books, Fish Had a Wish and Car Goes Far, which are ideal for kids in preschool and kindergarten.

Resources: Garland includes a glossary at the end of the many types of boats a tugboat assists. He includes a page about the Willis Avenue Bridge which was towed on a barge down the Hudson River from Albany to New York City. If you live near a large river like the Mississippi River or along the coasts where tugboats are visible, plan a field trip to show children how hard the tugboats work. Check out Michael Garland’s website for information about all of his books.

Congratulations Susanna Leonard Hill for the 100th Picture Book Friday!!! Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Car Goes Far

Car Goes Far

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Holiday House, I Like to Read Series, Fiction, 2013

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Shiny car gets dirty, Humor, Resilience

Opening: “Car looks good.”

Synopsis: As a shiny red car begins on a trip to a burger joint, a gas station, and a store, it drives into trouble. Car is stuck in a traffic jam next to a construction site, gets dirt slung on it, is choked by the smoke and exhaust from other cars, and receives a downpour of droppings from a flock of birds. Car is defeated. What will Car do?

Why I like this book: Michael Garland has written and illustrated a delightful book with very simple text for young readers. For example, “Car gets wet. Splash, splash.” There is a lot of show and tell. He uses a lot of fun verbs to describe the action. His digital artwork is very expressive and colorful. Car’s headlights look like eyes and its bumper shows a toothy smile when it’s happy and a frown when it’s sad. Kids of all ages will enjoy Car’s animated expressions. Afterall, this is Michael Garland and his artwork stands out as a feast for the eyes! Make sure you check out the front and end pages for a view of Car’s neighborhood. This is an entertaining book for children learning to read on their own. It will be read again and again. Visit Michael Garland at his website.

Super Snow Day

Super Snow Day

Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator

Dutton Children’s Books, Fiction, 2010

Suitable for Ages: 3-8

Themes: Snowy Day, Winter activities, Seek and Find

Opening/Synopsis: Tommy was about to eat his breakfast when he heard the TV news lady say, “The schools are closed! It’s a snow day!” Tommy looked into his cereal bowl and saw a note from his Aunt Jeanne. “Take a look out the window!/This is more than a flurry./You have time on your hands now,/And not one single worry.” Tommy hurries outside to shovel the walk before he plays in the snow. In his shovel he finds another message from Aunt Jeanne telling him to head towards town when he finishes. He happily straps on his snow shoes and makes his way towards town where the streets are filled with children playing and parents pulling kids on sleds. As he heads to the town square he finds people making gigantic snow sculptures and ice castle. Outside of town there is ice fishing, ice boat racing, sleigh rides, bobsled racing and many more surprises.

Why I like this book: Author and illustrator Michael Garland has written and illustrated a magical snow day book that teaches kids about many fun and unusual winter sports and the world of hibernating animals. His computer-generated illustrations are bold, colorful, and engaging. Super Snow Day is one of Garland’s popular Seek and Find books. Each illustration is filled with hundreds of hidden snow items. With a lot of snow this winter, Super Snow Day will have great kid appeal. Young children will find it a great snowy day story and enjoy looking at the eye-popping illustrations. Older children will be entertained with searching for all the winter sport symbols, song and book titles, animal tracks, foreign words for “snow,” and counting all the snowflakes on the cover and inside the book. Make sure you have a pad of paper and pencil, because this book is one big puzzle! Visit Michael Garland and all of his picture books at his website.

Resources: The book is a resource of fun activities for even the young at heart. But, enjoy the snow with your children/grandchildren and take them outside to search for animal tracks in the snow. Make snow angels. Go sledding, skiing or ice skating. Build a snow fort or snowman. And don’t forget about making snow ice cream. Here’s a recipe.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.