Description
Gr. 1^-4. Micucci’s lowdown on “one of our most beloved yet least understood crops” is as substantial and satisfying as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In a lively and engaging combination of words and pictures, the author presents information on how peanuts grow, how they are farmed, where they are produced (“If the state of Georgia were a separate country, it would be the fifth largest peanut-growing country in the world”), and how they are used worldwide. What sets this book apart is Micucci’s amusing and creative techniques for bringing statistics to life. To demonstrate that the world’s yearly peanut production of 26 million tonnes equals 4.1kg of peanuts per person, Micucci shows a jaunty planet Earth with stick arms and legs and red sneakers pulling a waggon loaded with nine 4.1kg sacks of peanuts. The illustration not only enlivens the page but also attracts the child’s attention long enough to figure out what the statistic really means. As an added bonus, the artwork is attractive in itself, with great attention to line, movement, and colour, all carefully placed on the pages. The final section is devoted to African American scientist George Washington Carver and his work discovering uses for the peanut (from linoleum to shampoo), a crop that improved southern soils depleted by intensive cotton farming. Another successful addition to Micucci’s library, which includes The Life and Times of the Apple (1992) and The Life and Times of the Honeybee (1995) Susan Dove Lempke –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
