Oh, I have such a delicious new picture book to share with you today! Apples for All: A Story About Grafting, written and illustrated by Mary Peterson and published by Feeding Minds Press, is just marvelous.
This charming picture book is clever, fun, and beautifully illustrated. It follows the journey of a young girl named Bobbi, her knowledgeable farmer grandpa, and a cast of various characters (mostly barnyard-based). Bobbi is MORE than ready to make applesauce…but there are a few slight problems along the way. Using teachable science to explain apple growing and grafting, the family combines a slew of different apple varieties (and a great deal of time and nurturing) to make one extraordinary apple tree.
Delicious!
The book ends with some excellent apple facts. I came away from reading this not only more knowledgeable about the food that we eat, but inspired to share this with all of our young readers.
Highly, highly recommended.
Mary Peterson is an illustrator and author/illustrator of many books for young readers. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their elderly parakeet, Pierre. Mary grew up on a farm with an apple orchard that grew the perfect fruit for snacking, baking, jelly, AND applesauce.
We interviewed Mary about her book, inspiration, education, the science of growing apples, art, and more. Here’s what she had to say…
Please tell us about your new book, Apples for All…
Bobbi loves applesauce! Her family’s farm raises animals and grain. They have a lovely garden with fruit trees, but no apple tree. She has a great idea: plant a seed from her favorite apple! But her grandpa has a surprise to share with her about how apples grow. This quirk is at the heart of the story. Bobbi learns about grafting and how the whole family can join in the fun.
What inspired you to write this book?
I grew up on a farm much like the one Bobbi lives on. The farmstead where I lived was first built in 1876. In those days, it was common for a fruit orchard to be planted. We had Wealthy apples for pie, Macintosh for juice and sauce, Golden Delicious for snacking, Jonathan for long-term storage, and crab apples for pollination (and treats for the horses).
Apple trees are also perfect for climbing. I had a favorite nook to read in, not to mention memories of baking and sharing the fruit with friends and neighbors. For a small child, it was a magical place.
How can parents and educators teach this book across age ranges?
Bobbi ages three years in the course of the story. It takes that long for an apple tree to begin bearing fruit. That’s an important lesson. Patience and time are often required to see the positive results of one’s effort.
Then there is the unusual fact that the seed of an apple does not produce a tree just like its parent! Most adults do not know this fact. Older children will want to learn more about the biology of that quirk of nature, as well as the requirements for healthy growth, including beneficial insects, fertilizers, and water requirements.
The physical way that grafting happens is curious, and the diagrams in the book are clear and understandable for even the young ones.
One special lesson is the family component about working together. When everyone has a different “favorite apple,” grafting can ensure everyone has a stake in how the tree grows and how they can each help.
How can kids learn more about the science of growing apples?
I hope this book inspires kids to look deeper into the unique nature of how apples grow and why they are cultivated the way they are. Books and videos are a good start. An orchard visit is a wonderful way to see the stages of growth firsthand. A school garden allows kids to get their hands dirty by planting an apple tree, watching the leaves pop out in the spring, and observing the flowers grow into apples.
I love the illustrations! Please tell us more about your inspiration and process as an author and illustrator.
My biggest inspiration for the pictures was the farm I grew up on! The layout of the house, outbuildings, and farmland is pretty accurate. As an artist, I love printmaking. The illustrations are rendered as linoleum block prints and pencil, with some assistance from the computer.
My inspiration for the story was our horse, Sugar, who loved crab apples best of all! I thought, how fun would it be to tell the grafting story as a solution to a dilemma that makes everyone happy, as well as a story about science?
How can readers find your work?
For a look at all my books and my illustration portfolio please visit marypeterson.com.
My Instagram username is @marypeterson_0.
My books are available online at bookshop.com as well as other online indie book sellers, and Amazon.
Apples For All is also available at feedingmindspress.com.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I encourage every child to plant a seed, any seed! Plant it in a paper cup or small pot, put it in the kitchen window, give it some water and attention, and watch it grow.
All photos courtesy and copyright Mary Peterson, published with permission