CORN APLENTY

This Step 1 entry into the Step into Reading series gives teachers the opportunity to branch out from apples and pumpkins in their farm units. Readers accompany a pair of blond siblings as they watch the changes that occur on a local corn farm. They first drive by the farm in late winter when the trees are bare and the farmer is plowing the field. As the leaves appear they ride by on bikes and watch the planting of the corn. And so the seasons go, until it is time to walk to the farm stand and help the farmer sell the corn. In keeping with the level of the text, the sentences are short, with simple vocabulary that concentrates on verbs, nouns and adjectives and allows the illustrations to provide the context clues needed by beginning readers. Iwai’s large, richly colored illustrations and a generous font make this a good choice for sharing with groups. A nice addition to school libraries looking to expand on the farm topic. (Early reader. 4-6)