A TALL Tale About the Power of Teamwork
When sweet Little Isabelle’s family plants a carrot seed, tall Papa Joe, wide Mama Bess, and strong Brother Abel each do their part to help it grow. But when Little Isabelle wants to help too, Brother Abel just laughs.
“What can you do?” he asks.
“I’ll sing and dance to the carrot to make it grow,” she says. “And come summer, we’ll have little cups of sweet carrot puddin’!”
Sure enough, the carrot takes a fancy to Little Isabelle’s singing and dancing and grows to an amazing height—proving that great things can be accomplished when everyone works together.
Book Details
- Title: The Giant Carrot
- Author: Jan Peck
- Illustrator: Barry Root
- Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin/Putnam
- ISBN: 0-8037-1823-3
- Length: 32 pages
- Format: Full-color picture book
- Age Range: 4–9 years
- Read-Aloud Friendly: Yes! Perfect for storytimes and classrooms.
Awards & Honors
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★ Starred Review — School Library Journal
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Best Children’s Book of the Year — Bank Street College
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Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
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Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award
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Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award
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Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
Inspired by a Classic
This lively story is based on the Russian folktale The Turnip, reimagined with American tall-tale charm and a down-home Southern flair.
Fun Extras
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Includes a recipe for Little Isabelle’s sweet carrot puddin’
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Great for classroom discussions on teamwork, family, and folktales
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Makes a fun pairing with garden units or nutrition-themed activities
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👩🏫 Classroom Ideas
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Act out the story using props or costumes: this creates one of the most entertaining plays. Have one person dressed up as the Giant Carrot, as well as Papa Joe, Mama Bess, Brother Abel, and Sweet Little Isabelle.
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Cook up the carrot puddin’ recipe as a class.
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Compare with other folktale versions like The Turnip or The Enormous Potato.
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Discuss what each family member contributed and what teamwork means.
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