Bursting with flavor and just the right infusion of insight, Dear Tomato: An International Crop of Food and Agriculture Poems presents a collection of poems from thirty-four writers on the most universal topic of all: food. Featuring a wide assortment of styles, from haiku to acrostics to free verse, these poems touch on topics that range from lighthearted to seriously thought-provoking. Whether the focus of the poem is a child’s battle over eating peas or a celebration of fair trade, this collection introduces kids to a fresh new view of where their food comes from.
They’ll love following along as they track what they eat—from a tiny seed all the way to the fork that brings it to their mouth! Throughout the anthology, each entry’s words and ideas are brought to life by Norie Wasserman’s stunning black-and-white photographs, which themselves are poetry for the eyes. A fun and enlightening read for kids eight to twelve years of age, this collection will add to your family’s dinnertime conversation, while also providing an excellent resource for teachers and librarians.
Though the book is aimed at eight to twelve-year-old children, adults and older children will delight in the poems.
The anthology, which costs $10 US, is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and the CreateSpace eStore as well as from the editor, Carol-Ann Hoyte, who can be reached by email at kidlitfan1972@yahoo.ca.
Here’s what people are saying about Dear Tomato:
From Robert Heidbreder’s opening, “A Farmer’s Prayer,” to Matt Goodfellow’s concluding, “The Old Farmer’s Song,” Dear Tomato: An International Crop of Food and Agriculture Poems, offers a cornucopia of delicious food for thought. Unless the certainty of encountering naked vegetables makes you squeamish (Ken Slesarik is shameless), dig in for a tasty treat. – David Harrison, U.S. children’s poet and Poet Laureate, Drury University
From farm to market, from garden to table, and from fork to mouth, Dear Tomato serves up a bumper crop of delicious (and healthful!) poems that are sure to leave you hungry for more. – Kenn Nesbitt, U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate (2013-2015)
