Life On A Cattle Farm (Life On A Farm)

Life on a Cattle Farm (Life on a Farm)

From School Library JournalGr 3-4-This series entry introduces Adam Smith, who lives on a small beef cattle farm in Pennsylvania, and the narrative presents easy-to-understand information about raising these animals. The facts are general to all cattle breeds, although the Smiths raise 50 polled Herefords. Most of the animals are sold, so the concentration is on raising healthy breeding cattle. The descriptions of breeding, birth, vaccination, and castration are briefly explained for young readers. The simplicity will be appreciated by city children, while rural children may find it too limited. One detail is not quite correct. After cleaning out the barn, readers are told that "hay" was spread on the floor as bedding. Straw is usually used for bedding, and hay is used as feed. Sharp, clear, full-color photos appear on every page. The listed Web sites have limited information. While perhaps not as complete as other titles in the series, this book does give a competent, appealing look at current farm life.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OHCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.A boy describes what makes working and playing on his cattle farm so much fun, and explains the difference between a bull and a steer and how calves are born.