The Apple Orchard Riddle

We last saw Mr. Tiffin and his class digging through pumpkin innards to solve math problems (How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?). This time, they take a field trip to the apple orchard to learn a few hands-on lessons from another favorite fall fruit. And this time, the story focuses on a student named Tara, whose penchant for daydreaming often causes her to lag behind the group. Illustrations rendered in gouache, acrylic, and pencil combine crisp lines and hazy colors to call forth a perfect apple-picking day. Farmer Hills guides students and readers through her orchard featuring a wide variety of apples, apple storage, a cider press, and cider donuts, while Mr. Tiffin's class tries to solve the riddle he has assigned ("Show me a little red house with no windows and no door, but with a star inside"). No one can solve the riddle until Tara comes up with the solution; her daydreaming has enabled her to see the apples in a new way. Karas's gentle art suits the text well, bringing life to the orchard and this class full of bright and funny kids. Endpapers feature different apple varieties, and the book closes with some summarizing apple orchard facts from Mr. Tiffin -- and also from Tara. julie roach