When the farmer grows a turnip that’s so big, he’s not strong enough to pull it out of the ground, he has to enlist all of the farm animals to help. One by one, they add their might to an ever-growing conga line of harvesters until a tiny mouse who joins in provides just the right amount of needed muscle. Niamh Sharkey’s stylized drawings add zesty humor to the tale, a favorite for dramatic play among the preschool set. (Ages 3-6)

In this traditional Russian tale, a farmer grows a turnip so big that it takes the combined efforts of him, his wife, six canaries, five geese, four hens, three cats, two pigs, one cow, and, finally, one mouse to pull it from the ground.