Friday, 5 July 2013

Dominic Grows Sweetcorn by Mandy Ross & Alison Bartlett (Children's, Picture Book, 9/10)


June 2013, Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 26 pages, Hardback, Review copy

Themes: Jamaican life, life in 1960s, bartering goods, growing your own food, sharing with others, learning family history, appreciation of what you have,

Summary from Frances Lincoln 
When Dominic visits Grandpa, they go into the garden together, and Grandpa shows Dominic how to grow sweetcorn, the way he used to grow it back in Jamaica. While they work, Grandpa tells Dominic about his life in Jamaica, and talks about how he met Dominic’s grandma and what happened when they came to Britain. When the sweetcorn is ready to harvest, Grandpa and Dominic trade it for apples from the next-door neighbour, just like Grandpa used to in the Caribbean. And everyone ends up having a lovely feast together.

Nayuleska's thoughts  
The vibrant illustrations convey my idea of how Jamaica feels like, and daily life is depicted clearly by Dominic's grandfather. I felt the transition between Dominic's life as he grows the sweetcorn and his grandfather's telling what life was like for him when he was younger sometimed wasn't as smooth as it could be at times

Suggested read
For more books on growing things try Brother William's Year by Jan Pancheri
 

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