Farmer George Plants a Nation

February 4, 2008
Thomas (Joshua the Giant Frog
) and Johnson (Remembering Grandpa
) depict George Washington as a forward-thinking farmer dedicated to making Mount Vernon a self-sufficient, profitable plantation. Emphasizing Washington's innovative thinking and experimentation, the narrative explains how he invented a plow to streamline the planting of crops, rotated his crops and tested different fertilizers, bred donkeys and horses to create strong mules and designed a treading barn with 16 sides. Quotes from Washington's diaries and letters, presented in script outside the main text, demonstrate his devotion to improving his farm and lend credence to the author's assertion that “George's thoughts were never far from home,” even during the Revolution and his presidency. Thomas's history is extremely detailed, full of facts that bring the 18th-century farm to life. She also addresses the obvious paradox: she concludes her work by praising Washington for “plant the seed of freedom on the battlefield,” then explores his role as the owner of slaves in an endnote. Johnson's representational paintings, all of them flattering, incorporate symbols like bald eagles but also illuminate the workings of the plantation; a cutaway view of the 16-sided barn is especially helpful. A useful look at a lesser-known aspect of Washington's achievements. Ages 8-up.