The Life and Times of the Peanut [Hardcover]

Charles Micucci (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

What are peanuts - are they peas or are they nuts? Do they grow above or below ground? Who invented peanut butter? In the same spirit as his award-winning Life and Times of the Honeybee, Charles Micucci explores one of America's most favorite and enigmatic snack foods. This fascinating picture book, with its concise, detailed text and abundant illustrations, ranging from the humorous to the scientific, offers a spirited introduction to the life cycle, many uses, and historical influences of the peanut. Micucci's rare gift for making any subject engaging and accessible is again revealed in this truly witty, rich salute to the peanut.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5. A complete history of the peanut that could be used for reports or read for pure pleasure. A multitude of bright watercolor drawings extend the text. The author not only shows where and how a peanut is grown, but also explains how it is harvested and how peanut butter is made. New vocabulary is explained within the context of the lively narrative. Interesting anecdotes about George Washington Carver and Jimmy Carter are included. Statistical facts such as the leading peanut growing states are illustrated with graphs made of peanut symbols. Librarians who may not have purchased a book on this topic since Millicent Selsam's Peanut (Morrow, 1969; o.p.) may want to refresh their collections with this outstanding choice.?Blair Christolon, Prince William Library, Manassas, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-4. Micucci's lowdown on "one of our most beloved yet least understood crops" is as substantial and satisfying as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In a lively and engaging combination of words and pictures, the author presents information on how peanuts grow, how they are farmed, where they are produced ("If the state of Georgia were a separate country, it would be the fifth largest peanut-growing country in the world"), and how they are used worldwide. What sets this book apart is Micucci's amusing and creative techniques for bringing statistics to life. To demonstrate that the world's yearly peanut production of 26 million tons equals 9 pounds of peanuts per person, Micucci shows a jaunty planet Earth with stick arms and legs and red sneakers pulling a wagon loaded with nine one-pound sacks of peanuts. The illustration not only enlivens the page but also attracts the child's attention long enough to figure out what the statistic really means. As an added bonus, the artwork is attractive in itself, with great attention to line, movement, and color, all carefully placed on the pages. The final section is devoted to African American scientist George Washington Carver and his work discovering uses for the peanut (from linoleum to shampoo), a crop that improved southern soils depleted by intensive cotton farming. Another successful addition to Micucci's library, which includes The Life and Times of the Apple (1992) and The Life and Times of the Honeybee (1995) Susan Dove Lempke

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (April 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395722896
• ISBN-13: 978-0395722893
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,788,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent explanation of peanuts, December 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Life and Times of the Peanut (Hardcover)

i am in the peanut business and this is an excellent explanation of the business. my kids got a kick out of the book. it explains some things that most people do not understand.

5.0 out of 5 stars Peanut Planting for the Curious and Uninformed Novice Farmer, August 23, 2011

By 

Lori Brooks - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Life And Times Of The Peanut (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

I planted peanuts and bought this book to teach my son what we were doing. I found myself using it as a reference book and bought everything else the author wrote based on this one book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, November 3, 2004

By 

Tammi Mossman "beadsandbooks" (Cumming, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life and Times of the Peanut (Paperback)

Plant growth and peanut farming are explained, together with historical and scientific information, in a well-written, interesting, beautifully illustrated book. Now I have to find more books by Charles Micucci!

"Life is too short to read a badly-written book." ~T.M.