The Apple Orchard Riddle

by Margaret McNamara and G. Brian Karas

When Tara's class takes a field trip to an apple orchard, her teacher gives them... read more

When Tara's class takes a field trip to an apple orchard, her teacher gives them a riddle to solve: "Show me a little red house with no windows and no door, but with a star inside." The kids go on a tour of the orchard and learn a lot about apples. Everyone is pondering the riddle, too, with no success. But while the other kids ask questions about the apples and the cider press, Tara, who's sometimes teased for being dreamy, is observing and thinking. When everyone else gives up on finding the riddle's answer, Tara says, "I think there is a star inside this apple, where nobody can see it." Even though she can't see the star, she can imagine it being there. Another classmate scoffs-who cares about a star you can't see? But the teacher cares, and when he cuts another apple in half according to Tara's instructions, the star inside is revealed. Margaret McNamara affirms the value of being a thoughtful dreamer in a picture book that perfectly, sometimes humorously, captures recognizable personalities of elementary-age children. (Ages 5-8)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2014

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