- Author: Lanie Keystone
Childrens' books are a wonderful resource. Often, when I want to know the core of a topic, be it science, history, or geography, I often turn to a well-written book for children to quickly seek information. The reductive aspects of these books often present the topic in a clear, concise, easy-to-understand but authoritative manner. (When traveling, it's a great way to learn about a foreign country without wading through dense explanations and examples!)
Farmer George Plants a Nation is one such book. Beautifully written by Peggy Thomas with exquisite paintings by Layne Johnson, one gets the tone of the times and the importance of agriculture and horticulture to Washington as he and the other Founders build our nation.
Ironically, I came across this wonderful book in our Vacaville Library on Presidents' Day! In it, we read about his life as a general and as the first president of the United States. But woven throughout these known careers, we learn that George Washington was an avid farmer who understood the importance of experimenting with seeds, tools and fertilizers. We gain insights into how he created plows, designed a sixteen-sided barn and plotted the location of each new tree that he planted.
The book, as well as his work as a gardener and farmer, begins simply and powerfully—(just as gardeners' across the ages begin): “George Washington dug his hand into the newly tilled earth and let the hard, dry clay crumble through his long fingers.” His story develops from there in an adventure that spans his life's endeavors. The author has based the narrative on his letters and diaries—through which we see how “his efforts to create a self-sufficient farm at Mt. Vernon, Virginia, mirrored his struggle to create a free [and thriving] nation.”
The most poignant aspect of the book is how Ms. Thomas enhances the narrative with direct quotes from Washington's writings—using them as effective “side-bars” to create texture, tone and authenticity. Two of my favorites taken directly from his letters and diaries are:
- Upon returning to Mt. Vernon after retiring as general: “Planted and Sowed…Six buckeye nuts, brought with me from the Mouth of Cheat River…and Six acorns, which I brought with me from the South Branch [River]. (1785)
- Shortly before becoming president: “For, in the present State of America, our welfare and prosperity depend upon the cultivation of our lands and turning the produce of them to the best advantage. (1788)
This is a special book for any gardener to read by oneself—or more wonderfully—to read together with children of all ages.