Customer Reviews

The Grapes Grow Sweet: A Child's First Family Grape Harvest

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I bought this book not knowing anything about it for my nephew who lives in a large city so he could have a book about what I do out in the country. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by just how nice a book it is. The story is great and the pictures are wonderful. It now tops my list for baby/childrens presents.

This is a wonderful book. I love the clear writing and the rich, gorgeous illustrations of a child growing up in a Napa Valley vineyard that has been in the family for four generations. It depicts a safe world, a family grounded in the earth, attuned to the cycles of the growing season. This may be one of the only children's books to include positive images of Mexican farm workers and to gracefully weave their Spanish-sprinkled English into the text. It also is non-sexist. For example, Julian's mother is shown driving the tractor, and his father tucks him into bed after the harvest is done. This would make a great gift. In fact, I bought a copy of The Grapes Grow Sweet for each of the five children in my extended family, from the newborns to the preschoolers, who like looking for the crickets, rabbits, lizards and even a fox hidden in the vineyard. Their parents appreciate the book as well. It teaches values of family unity, hard work, living in harmony with the seasons, and respect for diversity, both in the human world and in the animal/insect kingdom. The water colors are so vibrant and have such sharp edges that I thought at first they must have been done in some other medium. Tuft is a gifted and accomplished artist as well as storyteller. Just as the grapes overflow the gondolas, her illustrations overflow the pages as if there were such an abundance of images that she had enough to lavish several illustration on a page. There may be three, four, and even five overlapping images on some pages and; as some grapes hide behind others in a bunch, some of her images are only partially revealed, creating an extraordinay three-dimensional montage effect. One of the best things about this book is that it is not a made up story. It's based on the lives of actual children, pictured on the jacket with the author/illustrator. They are sitting on a tractor in a russet-colored autumn vineyard against a lush backdrop of the Napa Valley mountains. I recommend this book highly.

"The Grapes Grow Sweet" is well-summarized in the other reviews, so I won't go into that. My four-year old and I really enjoyed this book he received as a present. The pictures are copy an Impressionist-era style (nice for adults) but have a lot going on in them, from the bees that constantly hover over the sweet grapes to the grape pickers rushing to fill the gondolas. I love the fact that the author doesn't talk down to her audience, she talks about gondolas instead of "big trucks" and grape cutting knives instead of "cutters." Every character has a different voice, and the aspects of family life, community pride, migrant farming, and the life of a four-year old are all highlighted without the author shoving it in your face.

I highly recommend this book to children 4-8 and their parents.

Lynne Tuft is a fabulous artist. I think she should win an Emmy award for the best artwork of the year!!The story hooks you from the start, and she gives you such description that you can practically taste the grapes in your mouth and feel the summer heat and the years that Julian has waited to work in the fields! I would recommend this book to everyone because of the wonderful story as well as the incredible art.

This narrative proves that us kids and our parents are safe around wine despite what others may think! Lynne teaches us about the way it is when the grapes, which are made into wine, jelly, or jam, remember this book and all the hard work, long years, and effort put into it. If you read this book, I can guarantee many readings of pure enjoyment!! Estelle Wagner, Age 10, grade 6

As a resident of northern California I enjoy reading "The Grapes Grow Sweet" to my daughter, which describes a fall grape harvest from the perspective of a young boy growing up in a family vineyard. I am also a school teacher and use the book in my classroom. Many of my students have family members who are farm workers so they have background knowledge of life in a vineyard and can relate to the story being told. We spend a few days in my class each fall completing an integrated thematic unit that includes reading, descriptive writing and art. We finish the unit by bringing in different foods made with grapes that we can eat in class. Typically we have grape juice, grape jelly, raisins, grapes, etc. It is easily adaptable to the state standards and has amazing water color art that inspires the children to create their own works of art! The text offers descriptive writing samples to students by describing the pale green leaves, rattling, roaring tractor, shiny bunch of grapes, bouncing jackrabbit and sunbathing lizard. I look forward to fall each year and the opportunity to read "The Grapes Grow Sweet" with a new group of students.

My son received this book as a birthday present when he was five years old. He was fascinated by the story and beautiful pictures. Since we live in the wine country, and watch the "grapes grow sweet" in real life, it was wonderful to have such a wonderful book to read. Now that he is eleven, he reads it to my grandson who is equally enchanted, and asks us to read it each time he visits.