

Sara liked to play in the garden with her mom. She liked to see the flowers and the bugs and the birds. One day, she saw a big carrot in the dirt. She wanted to pull it out and eat it.
"Mom, can I have this carrot?" she asked.
"Sure, honey, but you have to wash it first. It has dirt on it," her mom said.
"Why does it have dirt on it?" Sara asked.
"Because it grows under the ground. That's where its root is. The root is the part that helps the carrot get water and food from the soil. It's normal for carrots to have roots and dirt," her mom explained.
Sara nodded. She understood. She pulled out the carrot and saw the long root. She ran to the hose and washed the dirt off. Then she took a big bite.
"Mmm, this is a good carrot. Thank you, mom," she said.
"You're welcome, sweetie. I'm glad you like it. Do you want to see if there are more carrots in the garden?" her mom asked.
"Yes, please. Let's go find them," Sara said.
They went back to the garden and looked for more carrots. They had fun pulling them out and washing them and eating them. They also saw some other vegetables that had roots, like beets and radishes and onions. Sara learned a lot about roots and dirt and how they help plants grow. She decided that she liked gardening with her mom. It was a fun and tasty way to learn new things.
