I wanted to like this book, but I could not with equanimity read a book containing the passage: "IN AUGUST, raccoons croon, call evening or morn. We'll come in a hurry and pick all the corn." That's a bit harsh after our garden fences were breached by raccoons one night and 500 corn plants torn down with a bite out of each tiny underripe ear. They certainly will pick all the corn, and the goat will weed (and eat non-weeds) and the crows will thin the rows to the point of non-existence... I don't hold the desire for "a garden that we all can share, groundhog, rabbit, skunk and bear" and I cannot bring myself to read it aloud. There is fantasy and then there's whatever this is. Complete detachment from reality. Hardscrabble Harvest by Dahlov Ipcar would be my choice for a realistic yet light-hearted read-aloud on what really happens in a farm garden and what it means to a farmer who depends upon its produce. ( )