Apples to Oregon
Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) Across the Plains
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Apples, ho! Sink your teeth into this hilarious tall tale that’s loosely based on the life of a real fruiting pioneer in this ebook with audio.
When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can’t bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too. But the trail is cruel—first there’s a river to cross that’s wider than Texas...and then there are hailstones as big as plums...and there’s even a drought, sure to crisp the cherries. Those poor pippins! Luckily Delicious (the nonedible apple of Daddy’s eye) is strong—as young ‘uns raised on apples are—and won’t let anything stop her father’s darling saps from tasting the sweet Oregon soil.
Apple Facts:
More than 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
About 2,500 varieties grow in the United States.
The apple variety Delicious is the most widely grown in the United States.
Apples are part of the rose family.
The science of fruit growing is called pomology.
Fresh apples float. That’s because 25 percent of their volume is air.
Cut an apple in half, across the core, and you’ll see a star shape.
It takes apple trees four to five years to produce their first fruit.
It takes about thirty-six apples to make one gallon of apple cider.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The creators of Fannie in the Kitchen present another satisfying slice of Americana in this capricious caper, loosely based on a true story. "My daddy loved growin' apples. And when he got ready to pull up roots and leave Iowa for Oregon, he couldn't bear to leave his apple trees behind," states the vivacious young narrator, with the fitting name of Delicious. Her father builds two large wooden boxes, fills them with "good, wormy dirt" and fruit trees, and loads them onto a wagon. "Oh, and by the way, he took us along too," she adds. As the girl's colloquial account follows the family of 10 across country, Carpenter's oil paintings provide effervescent particulars, such as Daddy bowed out at the front of the wagon, leading the team of oxen, while Delicious, addressing the audience full-on, nearly misses her ride West. Carpenter's brushstrokes, both delicate and broad, plus her rubbery characters add up to a more rugged style than her fine line renderings in Fannie, yet the artwork conveys just as much humor. Youngsters will revel in the fact that it is only through the efforts of inventive and indefatigable Delicious that the precious cargo survives its journey through hail, drought and frost to Oregon, where father and daughter plant a successful orchard. Daddy has the delectable last word: "Delicious, you'll always be the apple of my eye." This tallish tale is sweet to the core. Ages 4-8.
