Mowing

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2-Bumping down the road on the seat of an old, sickle-bar mower, Nora and Gramp set out to mow the hayfield just as the sun's rays strike the side of the barn. Once in the field, Nora gets down to scout out little animals that might be injured by the horses or the blades. A fawn and a killdeer nest are spared because of her keen eyes, and by Gramp's decision to leave the clumps of grass they live in uncut: "'Some people would call that a pretty bad job of mowing,' he says, 'But we know better, don't we?'" And so will children, who will sense the respect for life in Haas's quiet story. Smith's illustrations-watercolor paints, colored pencils, and watercolor pencils-meld well with the text. Of particular note is his skill in capturing the changing light as the day passes over the lush countryside, and the varying perspectives from which each scene is viewed. There are other well-illustrated books about special relationships in a farm setting- e.g., Linda Morris's Morning Milking (Picture Book Studio, 1991) and David McPhail's Farm Morning (Harcourt, 1985)-but there is still plenty of room for Haas's charming title.