We Like to Grow Our Food

What better way to encourage our children to get out in nature than to join them in creating a garden? People of all ages find it amazing to put seeds in the earth, watch tiny plants grow, and then harvest food they can actually eat! Health-conscious families and communities across our nation are taking on the challenge of childhood-obesity prevention by re-learning to enjoy fresh produce. The market for organic fruits, herbs and veggies has never been greater. Smart school districts all over are implementing hands-on programs to create backyard and community gardens to teach kids the joys of nature and the health benefits of “real” food, free of artificial additives and pesticides. This new addition to the “Family & World Health Series” is an invitation once again for parents and kids to read and talk together about simple, real-life subjects. In We Like to Grow Our Food, they learn about composting, the need for healthy soil, and the interconnection of all life systems (how humans, insects, animals and plants work together). They get to celebrate the essential bond with nature that is so easy to forget in a fast-food culture. We Like to Grow Our Food is both a storybook and an instruction guide. Young children can follow the progress of a group of characters who take their garden through the seasons. In the process, they learn the steps to creating their own garden. And this bilingual version is unique because it places the garden in a city, on a small plot of land?could be in a schoolyard, or as part of a community project. Whether our readers live in urban or rural environments, they can use the encouraging and simple text to start creating a new world: a new and healthier food source for themselves and their families. A garden is a wonderful teacher, with surprising and profound gifts. This book stresses the need for care, nurturance, patience and sharing—all vital life lessons for young children to hear about and for parents to encourage. The author, Denise Incao, is an avid gardener, a mother and a teacher with a master’s degree in Expressive Ecopsychology. Her dedication is to use art and nature together as a way to learn about ourselves and our world. With simple text, and captivating illustrations by Siberian artist, Valentina Jaskina, We Like to Grow Our Food promises to open a new door to adventure and enjoyment even for those who have been previously reluctant to get their hands dirty.