Ellie the Crop Duster Saves the Farm is a story about an airplane typically used for spreading fertilizer on crops saving her farm’s pumpkin patch from a prairie fire. With help from her farm pals, Roman the dog, Mrs. Whiskers the barn cat, and Miss Frizzle the quirky chicken, they work together repair her leaks, fill her tanks with water, and get airborne in enough time to put out the fire from above.
LISTEN AND FOLLOW ALONG
AUTHOR’S NOTE
We moved to the farm when I was four and within the first few minutes of arriving at our new farmyard, I led my three siblings directly through the biggest, muddiest puddle I found. My grandpa Paul would often apologize for the spanking he gave me that day. But just like the mud that washes off, there were so many lessons I learned. And so
many stories about growing up on the farm that I can now share with my own children. It wasn’t something I always appreciated as a child, but it instilled valuable lessons. I learned to problem solve. And I learned, that working hard wasn’t going to actually kill me (sore muscles do feel better after a couple of days!). And I learned that getting your
hands dirty gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment that nothing else can match!
Although I didn’t realize it as a child, we lived paycheck to paycheck, and often my parents and grandparents made do with what we had—even for repairs around the farm. We didn’t farm with the newest equipment, but we worked hard, hoping for the harvest. I hope I have reflected that well in this story!
We don’t live on a working farm anymore, my Ellie girl is my little farm girl at heart. She’s the brave one that will shoo away the toad from her sister, she’s the fearless one who lets the dog out after the sun has set, and although she is tiny in size, she is mighty in strength and grit. That’s four generations of farm kid in her blood!
