The Giant Carrot [Hardcover]

Jan Peck (Author), Barry Root (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A TALL tale about the power of teamwork When sweet Little Isabelle's family plants a carrot seed one day, tall Papa Joe, wide Mama Bess, and strong Brother Abel all do their part. But when Little Isabelle wants to help too, Brother Abel just laughs. What can you do? he asks. I'll sing and dance to the carrot to make it grow, she says. And come summer, we'll have little cups of sweet carrot puddin'. Sure enough, that carrot takes a fancy to Little Isabelle's singing and dancing and grows to an amazing height--proving that great things can be accomplished when everyone works together. Based on an old Russian folktale, and complete with a scrumptious recipe for carrot puddin', this wonderfully humorous story shows the strength of teamwork and the power of a touch of imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Peck transforms the old Russian folktale about a turnip into a rustic Texas yarn about a carrot that grows enormous enough to meet the needs of an entire family. When tall Papa Joe decides to plant a carrot seed so "come summer, when it's grown, [he can] drink a tall glass of carrot juice," he discovers that his family has other plans for the vegetable. Wide Mama Bess has her heart set on "a wide bowl of carrot stew," and strong Brother Abel craves "a jar of strong carrot relish." They dig the earth, plant the seed and water it carefully, but only "sweet Little Isabelle['s]" singing and dancing can make the carrot grow. Peck's linguistic repetitions and folksy dialect sometimes strain for effect ("Well, [says Brother Abel] for cryin' in a bucket"), but Root's (Someplace Else) depiction of the family's dirt farm and ramshackle log cabin are full of sunshine and energy. His carrot-colored earth, cornflower blue skies and popcorn-like clouds look good enough to eat, but nothing can equal the endearing insouciance of Little Isabelle's dance as the carrot begins "to shiver and shake and quiver and quake" and pops right out of the ground. A recipe for "Little Isabelle's Carrot Puddin' " is included at the end of the book. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?A delightful variation of the folktale "The Turnip." Papa Joe, Mama Bess, Brother Abel, and sweet Little Isabelle all have plans for the carrot seed they plant. Papa wants juice, Mama hopes to plant her lips on a bowl of carrot stew. Abel is all set for carrot relish, but tiny Isabelle desires carrot pudding, and it is her wondrous singing and dancing that cause the carrot to grow to enormous proportions. After the other three struggle long and hard to pull it up, it is her sweet, high-pitched song that finally pops that carrot right out of the ground. That tremendous vegetable provides the whole family with plenty of their favorite treats. A recipe for carrot pudding is included. This tale begs to be read aloud. There is a fine, humorous sense of story and a down-home style in Peck's language. Root's overblown, comic watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are the perfect match for this peppy story. A succulent story to savor.?Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803718233
• ISBN-13: 978-0803718234
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #740,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jan Peck is an organic gardener and a former cook for Auntie Em's, a vegetarian, health-food restaurant in Cowtown, so she knows plenty about giant carrots.
Her published books include:
* Way out West on My Little Pony (Pelican Publishing Company 2010).
* Pirate Treasure Hunt! (Pelican Publishing Company 2008).
* Way Far Away on a Wild Safari
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).
* Way Up High in a Tall Green Tree
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).
* Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).
* The Giant Carrot (Dial Books for Young Readers).
* The Ballerina Princess, The First Christmas, and The Time Travelers (About You! Books).
* "The Perfect Dog" in the best-selling anthology:
Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul.
* Also stories and articles in Highlights for Children, Boys' Life, Humpty Dumpty, and Turtle magazines.
* Short stories in the anthologies Distant Lights and The Neighborhood Nine, published by Boyds Mills Press.

Jan is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the past Regional Advisor for the North Central/ Northeast Texas Chapter, and a past freelance editor for Boys' Life magazine. Jan has won awards for her writing, judged by Bruce Degan (of the Magic School Bus series), George Stanley (of the Scaredy-Cat series), and Betsy Haynes (of the Fabulous Five series and Bone Chillers series and TV show).

She is in big demand for her dynamic presentations, featuring her books and getting the kids excited about reading (presented with author, David R. Davis). They give one of the most interactive, encouraging, inspiring school programs ever seen or heard!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful children's book for all ages., August 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Giant Carrot (Hardcover)

Author Jan Peck has given a new twist to the old Russian folktale "The Giant Turnip". Beginning her book, Mrs. Peck states the background of her story. A delightful tale of a giant carrot takes the basis of her tale. From Papa Joe's desire to have "a tall glass of carrot juice" to sweet Little Isabelle's desire to have "little cups of carrot puddin'", this tale flows smoothly. The repetition and building of this tale adds a joy for children. Before long, the children are joining the story. A great addition to any library - public, private, school and home.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Popular with preschoolers, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Giant Carrot (Hardcover)

I conduct a weekly preschool storytime at a public library in California. After I finished reading this book, there was a physical confrontation between two children who both wanted to check it out! What a crowd-pleaser, and a pleasure to read aloud.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, February 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Giant Carrot (Hardcover)

The prose glows as warmly as the sun-drenched illustrations. Definitely one of the best of the recent crop of picture books. I just wish the author had included, not only a recipe for sweet carrot puddin', but also one for wide Mama Bess's thick carrot stew! Yum!