THE FARM NEXT DOOR

When a neighborhood farm faces disaster, the community rallies to save it.

Farmer Fran, a bunny with long ears poking out of her hat and a cottontail protruding from her overalls, loves her daily routine. She wakes up every morning at the rooster’s crow to do her chores and then takes the goods she has collected from the farm to the town. Chef Elena buys eggs, cheese, and greens for the restaurant, the school purchases tasty morsels for lunch, and Uma restocks the flower shop with beautiful blooms from Fran’s farm. Throughout the day, neighbors and friends offer to help Fran as needed, but the independent bunny waves them off. She then deposits the rest of her profits in the bank. But a severe storm stops everything. Farmer Fran’s barn and crops are destroyed. She doesn’t have enough money to rebuild. A tiny neighboring mouse starts a fundraiser (“Fund for Fran”), and everyone pitches in. The cheery fair with bright patterns and colorful bunting celebrates teamwork and kindness as Fran learns the collective strength of a community. An author’s note breaks down the particulars of a local economy, while also detailing key definitions and posing comprehension questions about the economic exchanges within the story. Vignettes zoom in each time Fran visits a new customer in the town, highlighting both the transactions and various monetary possibilities.

A beginning economic lesson, with heart.