Grandpa's Tractor

Once, the farmer’s best friend was a red tractor.

Back then, the pastures were filled with cows

and the fields were full of corn. Today, the cows

are gone and the rows of corn have been

replaced with row after row of identical

houses. Grandpa Joe brings his grandson

Timmy back to the site of the family farm, where

the old house and a ramshackle barn still stand.

The visit evokes many memories for Grandpa

Joe, which he shares with Timmy – in particular, the majesty of his own father’s shiny red tractor – now rusting in the forgotten fields. Lyrical text and evocative artwork come together to create a heartfelt homage to a bygone era.

The Beef Princess of Practical County

After years of waiting, it is finally Libby Ryan’s turn to shine

at the Practical County Fair. Libby is filled with excitement

as she and her granddad pick out two calves for her to raise

on her family’s cattle farm, in hopes of winning the annual

steer competition. Against her father’s advice, Libby gives

the calves names, even though both steers will eventually

be auctioned off. After a few months of preparing for

the Practical County Fair, Libby finds that she is growing

closer to her steers with each passing day, and the pressure

to win Grand Champion is mounting. Luckily, Libby can count on her best friend to get her through most of the county fair chaos. Yet once reality sets in and she realizes that her steers will soon be sold to the highest bidder, the chaos in Libby’s heart becomes too much to bear.