Fast Farm and Slow Farm

PreS-Gr 3—A competition between the fast-farming Thump-Thump Giant and his eco-conscious neighbor slow-farming Grandma Snail has a predictable outcome. The giant redheaded farmer produces so much food with the help of his chemicals that he has to save his harvest with preservatives and go into the fast-food business. But his "Ready-Meals " make people sick. At her neighboring farm stand, Grandma Snail slowly convinces people to buy the more expensive, more delicious crops she sells. She writes instructions for growing and preparing "Slow-Slow Slowpoke Foods" and spreads the word. Weeding regularly, killing bugs with vinegar, making her own compost, and offering tasty meals, she slowly but surely converts customers, including the farmer next door. Occasionally, the translation of this Korean import is awkward and spills over into details of the acrylic paintings that fill each spread. These stylized images, reminiscent of folk art, contrast the two farmers at work and show a diverse set of customers young and old at their neighboring farm stands and in stores. Farm animals wander freely in Grandma Snail's yard and even in her living room. The obvious moral is reinforced by four pages of afterword including an interview with the Italian founder of the International Slow Food Movement, instructions for growing fresh veggies at home, and a quiz about healthy eating.