1 2 3 COUNT WITH ME ON GRANDDAD'S FARM

A Black family visits a farm in Johnson’s counting picture book.

The narrator—one of three young granddaughters—notes that Granddad, a farmer, “has one hundred acres of land. He loves tractors and machines. He loves crops and animals. He loves fresh air and dirt.” Their trips to his farm include helping with animal-related chores. The location, according to the afterword, is based on that of Johnson’s North Carolinian grandfather. Biscoe’s detailed, full-color cartoon images of apple trees, strawberries, tomatoes, roaming horses, and diverse livestock evoke a prosaic, all-encompassing mythological American archetype. There’s no evidence that Granddad has hired help for his seven adorable cows, eight pigs, nine chickens, or for his many acres of orchard, which obfuscates how much labor the work entails. However, this cute story offers a refreshing depiction of a Black family’s connection to familial land and of how agricultural knowledge is passed on. Hints of a buy-local ethos are also apparent: “Granddad sells tomatoes, spinach, green beans, potatoes, and peppers to local markets.” Simple counting tasks—involving one farmhouse or four deer—alternate with longer, more involved paragraphs about farm work; a read-aloud may be modified for younger or older children. Backmatter includes advice on how parents can engage kids in counting and literacy-promoting conversations.

Representation of a Black farmer adds value to this agriculture-themed book for young readers.