Apple Valley Year

This is an informative and interesting book about the nurturing and care of an apple orchard. The charming illustrations of Sandi Wickersham Resnick enhance and firmly place the story into the mind of the reader. The illustrations show the Clark family in their home and orchard. We also see the family dogs, Belgian horses, black cat, cows, squirrel, chipmunks, mice, black birds and bees. And, of course the frisky fox and her kits. I was especially fond of the shaggy gray dog!APPLE VALLEY YEAR takes us through the seasons of tending and caring for an apple orchard. In the winter, the dead branches need to be trimmed and Ralph Clark, the owner tells his horses, "Good pruning makes good apples." He's happy to see a fox and later reports to his family, that the fox is a good sign and will contain the mice population. In the spring, Ralph moves his bee hives to the orchard so that the hives can be set among the apple trees. When the bees awake they will be in the middle of the lovely apple trees. Ralph says, "Plenty of bees make good apples." His children, Tim and Martha are thrilled to be allowed to lay under the flowering trees and look at the night sky. Martha wishes on a star that she will see the fox.When summer arrives, the fox now has her own family of three kits. She teaches them to hunt under the tiny green apples. The foxes are pictured walking along a scenic stone wall. In late summer, the Clark family stakes up the branches of the trees that are heavy with apples. When it begins to rain, Ralph says, "Rain at the right time makes sweet apples in the fall." In September, the children start back to school and look forward to getting new shoes after the apple crop is picked and sold. Everyone helps to pick the apples. The crops are stored in a cool place until the buyer comes to get them. Now, the family will have the money to purchase what they need. Next, it's time to smoke out the bees from their hives and remove the precious honey. The hive boxes are stacked on a hill facing south which will keep the bees from freezing during cold weather. In winter, the foxes sleep in the orchard and Mrs. Clark counts the money from the cash box and tells the children that, "A good apple sale makes a good year." APPLE VALLEY YEAR is a wonderful and instructive book. I do hope that our local schools have copies since we live close to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley which is known for its delicious apples. I borrowed this copy from the county library.

Ralph Clark and his family farm apples, and we are shown the beauty and rhythm of their life through the seasons, beginning with winter. All efforts are interconnected, each season with its tasks that untimately contribute to a successful harvest. The book ends as it began, in winter, showing the full circle that being a farmer and working with nature offers. Beautifully illustrated.