Title: Tolstoy, Aleksei and Niamh Sharkey. The Gigantic Turnip. New York: Barefoot Books, c1998.
Summary: A farmer and his wife live in a cottage with a wildly overgrown garden. They kept an assortment of animals: 6 yellow canaries, 5 white geese, 4 speckled hens, 3 black cats, 2 pot-bellied pigs and one big brown cow. In the spring, the couple sowed vegetable seeds: peas, carrots, potatoes, beans, and last of all, turnips. The rain fell and the garden grew, and the couple harvested their vegetables. At the very end of a row was one turnip left--a gigantic turnip! The old man tried to pull it up, but it would not move. Then the old woman held onto the old man and they both pulled, but the turnip wouldn't budge. Then the cow joined them in pulling, but still the turnip remained in the ground. One by one, all the farm animals were added to the "pulling chain" to try and get the turnip, but without success. Everyone lay on the ground, exhausted, until the old woman had an idea. She got a piece of cheese and lured a mouse out of his hole, and caught him. She added the mouse onto the chain of animals, and together they pulled and pulled until finally: POP! The turnip came flying out of the ground, knocking everyone over. They all laughed, and that night, made a huge bowl of turnip stew, and everyone ate their fill. And the little mouse ate the most of all!
Cultural origins and how identified: The following is from cataloging information in the book's colophon: "Retelling of the famous Russian folktale". In another version,
"The One-Turnip Garden" is from Ten Small Tales, retold by Celia Barker Lottridge, New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1994, pages 29 to 33, is cited on http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson172.shtml
Audience: This story is appropriate for preschool-Grade 2 [ages 3-8] per School Library Journal review. This tale would work for a library storytime and would also be good for a family reading night, either at school or the library.
Summary: A farmer and his wife live in a cottage with a wildly overgrown garden. They kept an assortment of animals: 6 yellow canaries, 5 white geese, 4 speckled hens, 3 black cats, 2 pot-bellied pigs and one big brown cow. In the spring, the couple sowed vegetable seeds: peas, carrots, potatoes, beans, and last of all, turnips. The rain fell and the garden grew, and the couple harvested their vegetables. At the very end of a row was one turnip left--a gigantic turnip! The old man tried to pull it up, but it would not move. Then the old woman held onto the old man and they both pulled, but the turnip wouldn't budge. Then the cow joined them in pulling, but still the turnip remained in the ground. One by one, all the farm animals were added to the "pulling chain" to try and get the turnip, but without success. Everyone lay on the ground, exhausted, until the old woman had an idea. She got a piece of cheese and lured a mouse out of his hole, and caught him. She added the mouse onto the chain of animals, and together they pulled and pulled until finally: POP! The turnip came flying out of the ground, knocking everyone over. They all laughed, and that night, made a huge bowl of turnip stew, and everyone ate their fill. And the little mouse ate the most of all!
Cultural origins and how identified: The following is from cataloging information in the book's colophon: "Retelling of the famous Russian folktale". In another version,
"The One-Turnip Garden" is from Ten Small Tales, retold by Celia Barker Lottridge, New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1994, pages 29 to 33, is cited on http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson172.shtml
Audience: This story is appropriate for preschool-Grade 2 [ages 3-8] per School Library Journal review. This tale would work for a library storytime and would also be good for a family reading night, either at school or the library.
Notes on adaptation for telling: This would be a fun story to have kids act out during the telling (as long as the mayhem could be kept under control.) One could also use alot of different voice characterizations for the old man, old woman, and all the different animals. A big "POP" when the turnip finally emerges is essential!
Great story! Karita Hummer
ReplyDeleteGreat story! Karita Hummer
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