About Half Acre
For Children Ages 4 and Up
Behind ferns and flowers, tucked among branches and bark, along-side stumps and sand piles, there exists a world teeming with life. No matter the season, get out into your yard and discover it all! You and your children will have a blast discovering creatures and plants that live close by. Read Half Acre before sharing quality time exploring your backyard as a family.
Reviews
"I received a copy of Half Acre by Sarah Frankel from Goodreads and am happy to share my review. The author describes in rhyme and her colorful illustrations the natural wonders she finds in her yard. She encourages young explorers to look around their own yards to discover wild things. I appreciate that Ms Frankel uses the specific name of the plant or animal, for example, the butterfly is a Swallowtail. I think this book is a great way to help children learn to observe and discover the natural world."
~Teresa Young
"The cover of “Half Acre” is an excellent preview of the art work contained within this truly beautiful book for children. Every page has gorgeous full color illustrations depicting the natural world of the author’s back yard, the “half acre” of the book’s title. Flowers, bees, butterflies, a luna moth, colorful birds, a fox, a hare, hawks, small rodents “tunneling through lacey snow” in winter to “avoid hunters above and below”—all of nature abounds to be viewed from this one small yard where “a wild tangle of nature” may be experienced in every season of the year. The language is poetic, but the descriptions of the natural world are scientifically accurate. A child might be inspired to look more closely at the snow to see if he or she might discover the hidden pathways of the mice and voles in winter."
~Dawn M. Farnham
"In thirty-four pages, Half Acre explores the yard in all seasons and at different times of day. As much as I enjoyed the rhymes, I especially loved the paintings–of birds and leaves, flowers and bees, butterflies and trees, moss and ferns, night sky and nocturnal visitors, and so much more. Can you find the frozen tree frog? You’ll have to buy the book and look for it.
My favorite painting is the last one–with her house in middle, surrounded by snippets from each of the other paintings, like a sugar maple leaf floating in midair. There’s more to this painting though, for Sarah takes the reader through the four seasons at the house–in 8 x 6-inches, she begins with winter on the left and every two inches the season changes, ending with autumn on the right. I wish I could share that with you, but you’ll just have to trust me and purchase the book. Of course, she used the same scene to introduce her half acre of land, but it really stands out in the final mural framed by small portions of all the other paintings."
