Our Farm

Our Farm, By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary is a beautiful book.

The imaginative poems are penned by Maya Gottfried and the life like paintings are by Robert Rahway Zakanitch. I just found this book listed on Amazon, but learned about it through my local library where I was checking out books for our farm theme.

Different artistic methods render endearingly sweet illustrations of farm animals. Each animal is represented by a hand-crafted poem perfectly sounding as if written by each particular animal. The animal 'voice' for each critter is funny and winsome and fits what we think farm animals are like in their actions and personality.

Kindergarteners loved the illustrations although some of the funny parts were above their heads. Still, this book is a delight to read and look at and laugh with.

Recommended by a youngster at heart.

The Boy Needs Dirt

According to the book I am currently reading for a class, Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv, kids need outdoor time.

Dirt, water, mud, sand, rocks, sticks, trees, grass, plants, bugs, snakes, fish, birds...They need it all, combined with unstructured play and free time. Just to explore, dream, learn, conquer, expand...

The boy found some dirt today. On my to-do list is making him his own dirt garden (as opposed to my raised garden beds, which I have filled with plants). His own dirt box he can fill with water, make mud, throw rocks, dig holes, bury treasure, get filthy.

But so far, the dirt box is still on the to-do list.

Today he found his own dirt box, right on the edge of Nana's green beans. Hand shovel, plastic horses (from Nana's childhood, mind you), and dirt towered over by producing green beans.

He had a ball, burying the horses, digging deeper holes, standing up the horses, digging again, running the horses across the dirt.

The boy needs some dirt of his own, Nana! Come on, get to the to-do list.