I’ve been busy admiring greens, the structures of leeks, and other veggies at South Bend Farmer’s Market. Beets are one of the most productive crops because both the greens and roots can be used.

When I got into a pickle with needing some fruit photos for the upcoming fruit chant book (Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant, 2012) , a gardening friend directed me to Shelton’s Farmer’s Market near Niles, MI, and they welcomed me heartily.  I hadn’t visited in years. What surprised me is how much produce they had. They had all the traditional Midwestern fresh veggies and fruits, but also lots of specialty items for the Hispanic community and other communities, as well. Lots of Mexican fruits and vegetable specialties.  Plus many other intriguing gourmet items. I’ve never seen black radish! I was able to buy a whole case of cactus fruit here for one of the shots in the new fruit book. Thanks, Shelton’s!

Explore Chicago’s Farmer’s Markets at this useful site, which lists them by day of the week. I can’t wait to try the green market. While I was in town for a reunion of grad school friends/writers, I visited Daley Plaza Farmer’s Market.  The place was hoppin’! Music playing. Kids climbing, Chicagoans foot splashing in the water, and lots of folks buying veggies and fruits. Children’s book authors Gretchen Woelfle and Carmela Martino and I strolled, purchased beeswax products, and sampled some yummies. Some of the farmers here also come to my market at home, I think. Many represent orchards and farms in southwest Michigan. A few were from Wisconsin, too. I took a few photos in my continuing work for Go, Go, Grapes: A Fruit Chant, (Beach Lane, S&S, 2012), the sequel to Rah, Rah, Radishes: a Vegetable Chant. 

Kids ages 7-18 who are seriously interested in conservation can join a new online club for young sea turtle fans, run by the Sea Turtle Conservancy.  Sea turtle AdvoKids  http://www.iseaturtle.org/ The Sea Turtle Conservancy’s “Tour de Turtles” starts August 15th. Classrooms can track migration, learn, and enjoy the race.    www.tourdeturtles.org

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My chant books are a celebration of  words, rhythm, rhyme, and biodiversity. To celebrate my upcoming (June 16th, 2011) vegetable chant, I’ve assembled sound samples to help in teaching and understanding these books.

After a quick reading of the book, a 6-year old spontaneously practices, is able to chant a section, and has made up some dance moves to go with it.   RahRahRadishesOutLoud

Here I teach the new chant to a large group, line-by-line. Rah Rah Radish youngauthorsconf. I teach word-by-word and challenge a group:  Teaching Insect Chant.  Here I perform a high speed version of the Fish Chant End . An older student rhythmically reads Bird, Bird, Bird_ A Chirping Chant.

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In between a panel talk and signings at ALA in New Orleans late June, I fit in a trip around the corner to the lovely Crescent City Market near my hotel. This small market stood out for its farms with diverse heirloom variety veggies and its ready-to-eat savory foods and bakery goods. Really, it’s all you really want on a Sat morning.

I found yummy peppers and a possible fruit for Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant: huckleberries. I stood in the market pondering, trying to figure out how to work it into the rhyme. Nothing came to mind. Just in case, I bought the huckleberries to take home and photograph. But I  forgot them in the fridge at my hotel. Couldn’t tote them home for book photos. Oh, well, huckleberries. Sorry you’re not in the book, only in the blog!

Just back from whale watching in Canada to see that reporter Kirby Sprouls of the South Bend Tribune did a wonderful article July 31, 2011 about Rah, Rah, Radishes: a Vegetable Chant , the farmer’s market connection, and my work as an author. Hooray!

Shirley Duke, author/educator/speaker/writer of the Simply Science blog, shared with me extension activities for Rah, Rah, Radishes. See below for these activities. See her site for more goodies, about many books!

Activities

1. Make a list of all the vegetables named in the book. Then categorize those veggies by color or by which part of the plant they may be. This might include leaf, root, fruit, or stem.

2. Look up the food groups. The food pyramid has become a plate! Find out what other kinds of food make a healthy meal.

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Back from steamy, sparkly ALA in New Orleans to find that folks are lovin’ Rah, Rah, Radishes.  Katie Davis brought Rah, Rah, Radishes: a Vegetable Chant along with two other books to discuss them in her segment on Good Morning, CT.

See what A Year of Reading has to say. Shirley Duke posted extension activities here: Simply Science Blog. Back to photographing fruit for Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant, which is out next year. Mangosteen, anyone?