To Market, to Market [Hardcover]

Nikki McClure (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Known for art that celebrates the virtues of community, hard work, and living gently on the planet, Nikki McClure here explores a topic close to her heart: the farmers market. Alternating between story and fact, this lovingly crafted picture book follows a mother and son to the weekly market. As they check off items on their shopping list, the reader learns how each particular food was grown or produced, from its earliest stages to how it ended up at the market. To Market, to Market is a timely book that shines awareness on the skill that goes into making good food.

Praise for To Market, to Market:
STARRED REVIEW
"These soulful images never feel static—an amazing feat for such a deliberate, painstaking medium." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

AWARD:
WINNER: 2012 Washington State Book Award, Children's Picture Books

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nikki McClure is a self-taught artist who has been making paper-cuts since 1996. She is the author and illustrator of Collect Raindrops and Mama, Is It Summer Yet? and the illustrator of All in a Day, by Cynthia Rylant, which won the Pacific Northwest Bookseller's award. She visits her farmers market in Olympia, Washington, every week. Visit her online at www.nikkimcclure.com.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081099738X
• ISBN-13: 978-0810997387
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.4 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Agriculture

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful picture book that celebrates the Farmer's Market June 16, 2011

By Z Hayes HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

My six-year-old and I enjoyed reading Nikki McClure's descriptions of a farmer's market. Even more so, we enjoyed the beautiful cut-paper illustrations generously scattered throughout the book. A young boy and his mother visit the local farmer's market to purchase produce for a family dinner. On the list - apples, kale, smoked salmon, honey, blueberry turnovers, napkins, and cheese. As the pair visits each stall, readers are provided a glimpse into how each stall vendor produced or made his/her wares.

There's Michael the apple vendor who uses the grafting method to grow apple trees. My daughter (both of us love gardening) liked reading about the care that goes into maintaining a healthy apple tree. We then read about Colin and Genine the kale growers. It was interesting to read that there are different variations of kale with interesting names like Dinosaur and Red Russian!

Steve the smoked salmon vendor explains the process of making smoked salmon with three essential ingredients - healthy, fresh fish; rock salt; and, alder smoke. We also learned how honey is procured, how blueberry turnovers are baked, the process of making napkins using traditional Japanese methods, and how a mother-daughter pair makes cheese.

This picture book is a delight on so many levels - the text is informative but not dense or full of jargon (which makes it a great read for children) and the vivid and unique cut paper illustrations render each picture a wonder to look at and peruse. The final scene of a happy family settling down to a simple yet hearty meal puts a nice finishing touch to the book. Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars great children's book about where food comes from July 16, 2011

By Wayne S. Walker VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Quick! Where does food like fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and cheese come from? Of course, silly, from the grocery store. Well, not always, and there's more to it than just that. More and more people are turning to local farmers markets to find fresher and healthier foods. In this book, a young boy and his mother go on Market Day to shop for Michael's crisp apples, Colin and Genine's kale, Steve's smoked salmon, Benjamin's maple honey, Evan and Emma's blueberry turnovers, Heather and Katelyn's goat cheese, and even Yukie's hand-dyed napkins. What will they do with all this good stuff?
Author Nikki McClure, whose cut-paper art nicely illustrates the story, visits the Olympia, WA, Farmers Market every week. All of the people pictured in the book are real vendors at her local market. In addition, McClure did extensive research on who makes the food she eats and how it gets to market. So as the boy and his mother shop, they tell the reader how each item is grown or made so that it can grace their table and fill their stomachs. Did you know that there are over 6,000 farmers markets in the United States alone? To Market, To Market will encourage people to buy locally, eat healthy, and discover new foods. It is a unique and fascinating way to introduce youngsters to how food is grown, prepared, and brought to market. Perhaps the "way it used to be" is the wave of the future.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Farmer's Market June 4, 2011

By Catherine W. Hughes

Format:Hardcover

On Market Day, everyone finds their baskets and gathers to buy their food. From apples to honey to cheese, the market offers nature's bounty. Families eat well tonight, and say thanks for the fresh food. With paper-cut illustrations and detailed summaries about the market's goods, children ages 5-8 will learn about farmer's markets and perhaps want to visit one soon.