The Grapes Grow Sweet: A Child's First Family Grape Harvest
Soft, muted colors in the illustration on this book immediately draw the reader's eye. They tell the story of a family's work at harvest time in the wine country. A simple text accompanies the captivating art work and blends with the pictures so that the young reader has an entertaining as well as educational view of the grape harvesting process. Through the eyes of four-year-old Julian, the story unfolds. This is the first year he is able to help his family, yet he is eager to be driving the tractor and pulling the gondolas full of grapes. His family reassures him that before long he will be doing just that while his parents sit back and watch. The reader can almost smell the sweetness of the grapes as they mature at harvest time. Amidst the tractor, equipment and workers, small animals and bees, lured by the sweet smell, punctuate the pictures adding additional interest. The book is a wonderful combination of beautiful art work, highly descriptive text and the positive story line of a family working together and supporting one another in order to harvest the fruits of their labor. It belongs on the laps of many young readers. --FromIndependent Publisher