Children's Picture Books: Community Helpers & Careers: Farmers & Food Service

As a family sits down to enjoy a meal, thoughts of those who provide the food, from farmers who plant and tend seeds to store clerks who sell groceries, fill each one with gratitude.

A captivating exploration of how a family gets a farm ready for the snow of winter, Sleep Tight Farm lyrically connects each growing season to the preparations at the very end of the farm year. All year long the farm has worked to shelter us, feed us, keep us warm, and now it's time to sleep.

A cumulative tale of a farm maiden who, aided by a group of animals, prepares "Arroz con Leche," or rice pudding. Includes recipe and glossary of the Spanish words that are woven throughout the text.

On the farm, workers pick vegetables, collect eggs, and make cheese. At the market the next day, the workers set up their stands and prepare for shoppers to arrive. Amy, the baker at the Busy Bee Cafe, has a very special meal in mind--and, of course, all the farmers show up at the cafe to enjoy the results of their hard work

When a young boy in Korea dreams of eating a New York bagel, he asks a farmer, a fisherman, a beekeeper, and a baker for help.

In this story, readers get to visit local farmers, fill baskets with fresh fruits and vegetables, and then head home to cook a feast, all with goodies from the farmers' market! Featuring Stefan Page's graphic art, this delightful board book is filled with bold splashes of color and unique patterns.

Farms are busy places throughout the year. Animals are born; fields are plowed and planted, and crops are harvested. The winters are quiet, but there are always chores to be done . . . and soon spring will come again. Here Gail Gibbons describes the activities and special qualities of life on a family farm.

Annie is a very busy apple farmer. She bakes yummy treats with the apples she picks and saves her most beautiful apples to sell fresh at the farmers' market. Includes three recipes using apples.

Growing up in New York City, Hiromi Suzuki missed spending time with her father, a sushi chef who worked long hours in the family's Japanese restaurant. So one day when she was eight years old, Hiromi begged her father to take her to the Fulton Fish Market, where he bought fresh fish. Hiromi was fascinated by what she saw and learned; by the time she was thirteen, she was ready to take the next step. She asked her father to teach her to make sushi. Little did Hiromi realize that her request would lead her to the forefront of a minor culinary revolution, as women claimed their place in the once all-male world of sushi chefs.

From the whippoorwill's call on the first day of spring through the first snowfall, Edna and members of her family gather fruits, berries, and vegetables from the fields, garden, and orchard on their Virginia farm and turn them into wonderful meals. Includes facts about the life of Edna Lewis, a descendant of slaves who grew up to be a famous chef, and five recipes.

A step-by-step description of a day in the life of a restaurant chef--from the morning marketing to the final meal--sets preschoolers dreaming of what they want to be when they grow up.

Wanda Belch is the new cafeteria lady at school. Rumor has it that she drives a garbage truck to school. And her favorite dish is "Souffle of Science Experiments!"

A humble fisherman is taking a nap in his boat when a tourist interrupts him. The outspoken tourist points out that instead of napping, the fisherman could go out and catch more fish, which would eventually earn him enough money to buy a proper motor-boat. The tourist continues to embellish his idea, envisioning canneries, restaurants, and private helicopters. But the fisher­man has his own ideas about what success looks like.

When a lonely fisherman finds an injured bird on his boat, he nurtures it back to health and—since the bird can no longer migrate with its family—charts a course to head south for the winter. Together, the two form a special friendship and enjoy life at sea until both the healing process and the journey must come to an end.

Curious George's interest in helping a fisherman catch more fish ends in disaster, but he is able to redeem himself later.