Apples Here! [Hardcover]

Will Hubbell (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Even in winter, there are apples here, hidden in the trees. And when spring comes, there are apples in blossoms."Apples here," calls the farmer in the fall. "Jonagolds, Empires, Crispins--all kinds of apples."

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Grade 2-Apples crop up not only in orchards from Maine to Washington state, but also in the September curricula of thousands of elementary schools across the country. Here, just in time for the autumn harvest, is a colorful entry. The brief text is clear and informative enough to satisfy the very young and to stimulate questions from slightly older children. Pollination is not mentioned in the body of the book, but the blossoms are "waiting for bees" and a honeybee is shown in the heart of a flower. Two pages of detailed data on pollination, grafting, and apple/human history are appended. Luminous pencil drawings in sparkling reds, greens, blues, golds, and white follow apples from winter buds to apple pies, ending with deer enjoying windfalls in a late autumn orchard. Also portrayed in this rich cycle are children and adults enjoying blossoms and fruit in equal measure, from crunchy bites to soft applesauce on a Hanukkah latke, from cinnamony pie to juicy finds in a Christmas stocking. This welcome companion to Gail Gibbons's Apples (Holiday, 2000) and Zoe Hall's The Apple Pie Tree (Scholastic, 1996) is as glossy, crisp, and appealing as the subjects themselves.
Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. The cover illustration of an apple-cheeked little girl looking up at apples ripe for picking invites children into this quiet, informative book about a favorite fruit. The text opens with a surprise: a picture of a decidedly wintry landscape accompanied by the words, "There are apples here." The next double-page spread clears up the mystery with a close-up of a tree with buds "waiting for spring." This declaration-explanation technique, repeated throughout, is an effective way to awaken children's interest in apples and give them a sense that there is much more in nature than immediately meets the eye. The bright colored-pencil artwork follows kids through a blossoming orchard, as they play in leafy trees during summer, and then to a farmer's market before showing the kinds and uses of apples. After this rich display, the book ends with a double spread of apple facts. Behind the science here, kids will find lessons on process, patience, discovery, and hope. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807503975
• ISBN-13: 978-0807503973
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 10.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,837,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming, August 11, 2008

By 

mommyofone - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apples Here! (Hardcover)

I picked this book from the library as part of an apple unit I've been working on with my daughter (24 months). Of the nine books I selected, this has been her second favorite (after Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington).

Each two page spread has a partial sentence (4-15 words) in somewhat small type. The illustrations are very realistic and detailed. At the end there is a two page overview of miscellaneous apple facts. I found this very educational for myself and the information has been fun to incorporate into our many apple discussions this week.

The simple story line follows apples through the seasons from bud to harvest and illustrates some of the many uses of apples in our lives and celebrations. The people pictured are very ethnically and age diverse.

We have read this book several times this week, and we are both still enjoying it. I have found, though, that my daughter prefers to look at and talk about the pictures at great length instead of reading the text. If I attempt to use it as a read-aloud book, she loses interest about two thirds through.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Year of Apple Seasons...., January 31, 2005

By 

jenny-beast (Prattville, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apples Here! (Hardcover)

Its nice to have material for my 6 year old and 3 year old that introduces them to new concepts at their level. Both children could relate to the gentle, pleasant people in the drawings and walked with them through the apple trees in the winter with their hidden buds, through the blooms in spring, the summer and finally picking time --the fall! There are many facts in the back of the book which I enjoyed but went over the heads of my little ones.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars simple & lovely, October 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Apples Here! (Hardcover)

This book was written up in our local (Rochester, NY) paper as part of a review of new children's books by local authors/illustrators.

Apple orchards are abundant here, are I liked the idea of a book explaining in a simple manner how an apple grows. Living in the suburbs, our son wouldn't have any direct knowledge of where food comes from, and we want to make sure he understands everyone's connection to farms and the earth.

He's only 2-1/2, younger than the recommended age for this book, but he really liked it.

In early spring, a farmer holds a branch for a young child to see. "There are apples here," waiting to grow within each tiny, swelling bud on the tree. Each illustration takes us further along in the cycle of the apples from bud to dinner table: blossoms ("waiting for bees"); picking the fruit; enjoying it as applesauce on Hanukkah latkes or whole apples given as gifts in Christmas stockings; making pies.

Each 2-page spread shows children and sometimes adults examining an apple tree in an orchard, and later, picking the apples and selling them at the public farm market. We're shown families at home, cooking and eating the apples.

The very back of the book has a 2-page spread of text with detailed information about apples, some of it scientific and some, just fun. My son is too young for this part, but it would be very interesting for older children whose curiosity was piqued by the book.

The illustrations are wonderful. Beautiful and bright, they're realistic and eye-catching. Most important to me were the different races of children represented. People of all colors are shown, enjoying the richness of this bounty. I read in the review that the illustrator kept the faces of local growers, their children, and grandchildren in his head as he illustrated it.

A nice, rich, simple book; we really enjoy it.