Sophie meets friends regularly and they chat, buy treats, see dogs and musicians, and have fun buying fruit, vegetables and eggs. I like that all this occurs in the open air as compared to a mall, but the city is in the background. The point of the trip is to have an experience and buy foods, rather than to acquire goods. The fresh food changes with the seasons and a few examples are given. This will make children think about how and where food is grown, and they can see that it does not just appear in the shops in plastic containers. I would have liked more crafts such as lavender sachets and honey.

This would be a good starting point for a class exercise to read the book, write about a trip and compare the two. For instance, some farmers' markets do not allow dogs except service dogs, so that would be a point of difference to Sophie's day. This lively account MEET ME AT THE FARMERS' MARKET by Lisa Pelto will be enjoyed by kids from four up to nine.

Book Summary