The Apple Argument

by Jane Yolen, Anita Barghigiani (Illustrator)

Overview

In the Garden of Eden, as soon as God buried Vegetables in the ground, and put Fruits on trees and vines, the Fruits began to argue among themselves. "I am hardiest,” said Apple. "I am sweetest," said Grape. "Enough!" said God, sending two caretakers to the Garden. "Eat me!" the Fruits called to the caretakers. "Listen to the Fruits," the snake hissed. Wanting things to be easy was the first real problem in the Garden. It was much easier for the caretakers to pick the Fruits than to dig up the Vegetables, so the caretakers listened to the snake. One of the lessons of this story: Growing food begins with hard work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765613368
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/07/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jane Yolen lives in Massachusetts and has written more than 400 books across all genres and age ranges, including the Sydney Taylor Honor book Miriam at the River. In 2022 she was named the The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Winner. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century.
Anita Barghigiani was born near Pisa, Italy. She is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence. When she attended the Bologna Children's Book Fair for the first time, she fell in love with children's books and decided to study Illustration and Entertainment Design. She lives in Florence, Italy where she works, plays the guitar, and volunteers helping animals.

Editorial Reviews

01/08/2024

Yolen centers fruit and veg in this retelling that, per an author’s note, is “modern midrash, a made-up story based on the Garden of Eden story in Torah.” The narrative begins conventionally, with God creating Eden, but takes a turn when the fruits—depicted in Barghigiani’s richly hued, stylized paintings—begin arguing about which is “best.” Apple claims its hardiness makes it number one, while Pomegranate counters, highlighting its large size. Grapes, figs, and citron also weigh in, until God creates two human caretakers to mediate the quarrel. Though God warns the duo away from the querulous plants (“Vegetables, yes. Fruits, no”), “it was easier to pluck the Fruits,” and a snake encourages indulgence. Concluding sentiments compare people to those first fruits, resulting in a palatable variation that connects the tale to contemporary individuals “hardy, sweet, and difficult.” Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3–7. (May)

Publishers Weekly