The Pea Patch Jig
“Where the pole beans climb, where the tomatoes grow fat, where the onions smell sweet and the corn is yellow as the summer sun, that’s the garden of Clem — Farmer Clem.” So begins this story about Baby Mouse, a tiny mouse who loves to go exploring in the garden. But watch out! You never know what might happen when Baby climbs into a head of lettuce, or up a tomato plant, or when there’s a fox on the prowl.
These are some of the ingredients of The Pea Patch Jig — a book as refreshing as a summer evening in Vermont.
Inspired by the traditional song The Pea Patch jig, which was unearthed by the great songwriter singer John Hartford.
Reviews in Brief
“Colorful, lively, funny, original.” (Starred review) — School Library Journal
“Energy pulses throughout…a festive salad of a book, filled with snap, crackle and crunch.” — The Horn Book
“Hurd’s fluid paintings make Farmer Clem’s garden a cheerful camouflage for the Mouse family and their willful Baby; his kaleidoscopic colors and mischievous sense of humor make this book ripe for the picking.” — Publisher’s Weekly
“Lively visual humor, luminous color and sure sense of design bring the simple text to life.” — Kirkus Reviews
Awards and Other Notes
HarperCollins paperback edition, April 1995
Original Publisher, Crown Publishers