Review: Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life

 

Title:  Cycle of Rice Cycle of Life: A Story of Sustainable Farming

Author:  Jan Reynolds

Review Copy Provided by:  Lee and Low Books

This review is part of Jan Reynold's Earth Day Blog Tour for Lee and Low Books.

About the Book:  On the island of Bali in Southeast Asia, rice farming is a way of life. The people live in tune with the natural rhythms and cycles of the water and the soil. Ingrained in their community and culture, rice farming connects them to the land and one another.

Balinese farmers have planted rice using an intricate system of water sharing and crop rotation for more than a thousand years. Intertwined with their spiritual, social, and day-to-day lives, this system has made Bali a leading producer of one of the world’s most important crops. And because Balinese rice farming respects the balances of nature, it serves as a remarkable example of sustainable agriculture in an increasingly industrialized world.

My Review:  It is obvious that Jan Reynolds did some extensive research for this book.  It is filled with some of the most beautiful pictures from Bali.  I was completely in awe of them, especially one at the end of the book of the sunset over the water.  

This is a non-fiction text and I have to admit, one I wouldn't have picked up if it hadn't been for this tour.  I'm glad that I decided to take this on.  This is a great book for upper elementary or middle grade students doing research projects.  I was very interested in all that went into rice farming.  We have rice farms here in south Texas, but in Bali, it's a way of life.  The rice is literally, their life.  For generations, they have relied on the freshwater supply from the rain to sustain their rice fields.  It's amazing how intricate their water system is and how it's still in use after being built by hand in the ninth century.

The people of Bali spend alot of time holding water and rice ceremonies to insure the growth of good crops.  It is a way to not only ask for plenty of water and good crops, but also to connect the people and unite the area.  I really enjoyed reading about the people and how much pride they take in their ceremonies, fields, water supply, and rice crops.

This quote really sums it all up: 

Ballinese farmers know their lives must be lived in harmony with natural cycles in order to carry on their rice farming for the next thousand years.  They have a special prayer, Om sarwa prani hitangkaram -'May all that breathes be well.'  If the natural world is in balance, then all is in harmony on the island of Bali.

Jan Reynolds has done an excellent job of telling Bali's rice farming story.  It is an interesting read in which I learned alot.  At the end of the book is also a personal note from the author as well as a map & facts of Bali, web sites, and a glossary.

  

You can see actual video footage from Bali and hear Jan talk about rice farming and the research that went into this book.  At this site, you can also get a teaching guide for Cycle of Rice and a document called, Things You Can Do at Home to Live More.

Review: The Moose with Loose Poops

Title:  The Moose with Loose Poops

Author:  Charlotte Cowan, M.D.

Illustrator:  Penelope Neal

Review Copy Provided by:  Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

About the Book:  Four-year-old Miles develops a tummy ache while on a family picnic in Maine. His planned camping trip with Papa (complete with canoeing and fishing) is postponed when throwing up (oops!) and diarrhea (loose poops) develop. Mama, Papa and Lucy Moose take excellent care of Miles at home. Of course, they are helped by their kindly pediatrician, Dr. Hippo, who advises that fluid is the best medicine for Miles. Will Miles recover in time to go camping with Papa under a special, star-filled sky?

My Review:  Moose with Loose Poops is from the Dr. Hippos Series, which includes other books about an elephant with an earache, a polar bear with a cold, a frog with a fever of 104, and a giraffe with a sore throat.  Each book is written by a board-certified pediatrician.  This is the first of this series that I have read or even heard about.  I wouldn't recommend it for use in the classroom, but it is one to definitely have at home to reassure little ones when they are sick.  I read this aloud as my husband and I were going out of town this weekend and he even commented that it was a good book for parents to use at home.  Dr. Cowan does a great job of writing a story that entertains yet explains, in a childlike way, the details of having gastroenteritis or diarrhea.  For a child, it can be a scary thing, and if they can read about it, in a non-threatening way, it may help to ease theri pain just a little.  I enjoyed how simle this book is so that young kids can truly understand.  I will be recommending this series to my nurse to keep in her clinic so that she can share them with little ones when they come in sick and scared.  A hand washing song is even included that would be great to teach to children so that they wash their hands well to get all the germs off, which in turn will keep them from getting sick.  The illustrator, Ms. Neal uses vivid colors in her pictures that kids will enjoy. They are realistic looking as well, which helps to make the story more real to the child.  The other thing I like about this book and the series, is that each book comes with a parent's guide for each sickness.  It is laminated and answers simple questions like: "How Will I Know That My Child Has Gastroenteritis?" "When Should I worry/Call the Doctor?" and others.  I would love to read the rest of the books in this series.