Reviews
*****The Grapes Grow Sweet
My son received this book as a birthday present when he was five years old. He was fascinated by the story and beautiful pictures. Since we live in the wine country, and watch the "grapes grow sweet" in real life, it was wonderful to have such a wonderful book to read. Now that he is eleven, he reads it to my grandson who is equally enchanted, and asks us to read it each time he visits.
*****I use it in my classroom!
As a resident of northern California I enjoy reading "The Grapes Grow Sweet" to my daughter, which describes a fall grape harvest from the perspective of a young boy growing up in a family vineyard. I am also a school teacher and use the book in my classroom. Many of my students have family members who are farm workers so they have background knowledge of life in a vineyard and can relate to the story being told. We spend a few days in my class each fall completing an integrated thematic unit that includes reading, descriptive writing and art. We finish the unit by bringing in different foods made with grapes that we can eat in class. Typically we have grape juice, grape jelly, raisins, grapes, etc. It is easily adaptable to the state standards and has amazing water color art that inspires the children to create their own works of art! The text offers descriptive writing samples to students by describing the pale green leaves, rattling, roaring tractor, shiny bunch of grapes, bouncing jackrabbit and sunbathing lizard. I look forward to fall each year and the opportunity to read "The Grapes Grow Sweet" with a new group of students.
*****Beautiful Illustrations and writing, Sacramento,
CA
"My four-year old and I really enjoyed this book he
received as a present. The pictures copy an Impressionist-era
style (nice for adults), but has a lot going on in them, from the
bees that constantly hover over the sweet grapes to the grape
pickers rushing to fill the gondolas. I love the fact that the
author doesn't talk down to her audience; she talks about
gondolas instead of "big trucks" and grape cutting
knives instead of "cutters". Every character has a
different voice, and the aspects of family life, community pride,
migrant farming, and the life of a four-year-old are all
highlighted without the author shoving it in your face. I highly
recommend this book to children 4-8 and their parents."
*****A viticulturist
"I bought this book not knowing anything about it for my
nephew who lives in a large city so he could have a book about
what I do out in the country. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by
just how nice a book it is. The story is great and the pictures
are wonderful. It now tops my list for baby/children's
presents."
*****A wonderful story as well as incredible art,
Estelle W., Age 10, grade 6
"Lynne Tuft is a fabulous artist. I think she should win
an Emmy award for the best artwork of the year! The story hooks
you from the start, and she gives you such description that you
can practically taste the grapes in your mouth and feel the
summer heat and the years that Julian has waited to work in the
fields! I would recommend this book to everyone because of the
wonderful story as well as the incredible art."
*****Gorgeous book about growing up on a family
vineyard, October 31, 1998
This is a wonderful book; I love the clear writing and the
rich, gorgeous illustrations of a child growing up in a Napa
Valley vineyard that has been in the family for four generations.
It depicts a safe world, a family grounded in the earth, attuned
to the cycles of the growing season. This may be one of the only
children's books to include positive images of Mexican farm
workers and to gracefully weave their Spanish-sprinkled English
into the text. It also is non-sexist. For example, Julian's
mother is shown driving the tractor, and his father tucks him
into bed after the harvest is done. This would make a great gift.
In fact, I bought a copy of The Grapes Grow Sweet for each of the
five children in my extended family, from the newborns to the
preschoolers, who like looking for the crickets, rabbits, lizards
and even a fox hidden in the vineyard. Their parents appreciate
the book as well. It teaches values of family unity, hard work,
living in harmony with the seasons, and respect for diversity,
both in the human world and in the animal/insect kingdom. The
water colors are so vibrant and have such sharp edges that I
thought at first they must have been done in some other medium.
Tuft is a gifted and accomplished artist as well as storyteller.
Just as the grapes overflow the gondolas, her illustrations
overflow the pages as if there were such an abundance of images
that she had enough to lavish several illustrations on a page.
There may be three, four, or even five overlapping images on some
pages and; as some grapes hide behind others in a bunch, some of
her images are only partially revealed, creating an extraordinary
three-dimensional montage effect. One of the best things about
this book is that it is not a made up story. It's based on
the lives of actual children, pictured on the jacket with the
author/illustrator. They are sitting on a tractor in a
russet-colored autumn vineyard against a lush backdrop of the
Napa Valley Mountains. I recommend this book highly. |
