Farmer Phil’s Permaculture: The Original Permaculture Children’s Book
One of our guests and MSB members, Phil Williams, wrote a permaculture children’s picture book. He recently sent me a copy and I read it to my grandson. First off the illustrations are excellent, with true to life permaculture features. Second and most importantly my grandson enjoyed the story.
Most of the permaculture books and material you see is geared toward adults with at least a basic knowledge of the design science. Here we have a permaculture book for the younger crowd. As a teacher, I love the idea of exposing children to permaculture through a story.
Phil has made a PDF of the book freely available on his site for people to try. So, if you’d like to take a look at the book, feel free to download it here.
Even though you can get the PDF at no cost, I hope everyone will consider picking up a copy. Hardcover, softcover, and E-books can be found on Amazon: Here
One of our favorite things to do when our grandson spends the night is to read to him at bedtime. With this book we get a great story that interests a young child and teaches him at the same time. Check it out and you will see what I mean.
Synopsis – Eden’s dad, eager to exit the rat race, buys a farm. Eden is disappointed when the farm looks more like a factory than the country setting she imagined.
With the animals and their future at stake, she must trust Mother Nature. While peering through the hole in their fence, Eden catches a glimpse of the natural beauty next door.
She befriends Farmer Phil, who teaches her to observe. Through observation, Eden understands the plants and animals, but she doesn’t know what to do. Farmer Phil advises her to read from the book of nature.
To save the farm, Eden must see that the problem is the solution.
I checked out Phil’s site after listening to the interview, and I was really excited to see that he wrote a kids book. I ordered it right away and it arrived on Sunday. Our son is 2 and between my wife and I, we easily read 6+ books to him a day. Since Sunday afternoon we’ve already read it at least 4 times.
Right now, he really loves the “windmill” and the “other windmill,” but I can see that this will be a fun and easy way to introduce the ideas of permaculture to him. Thank you so much Phil! This was definitely something lacking in the permaculture area. So excited to start my kids off with a permaculture mindset from day one, instead of them having to wait until they are 30 to find it!
Eric,
THANK YOU. It really is humbling when I hear about people reading the book my wife and I wrote to their children. And you’re so right about being exposed to permaculture young. I would be so much further along if I was exposed to it as a child, not as a second career.
Thanks Again,
Phil
Linked to it from Permies a month(?) ago, it is a really great book to expose kids to permaculture principles and supplement their hands on learning. Roly Polys are a gateway to soil life!
This book is going into our Little Free Library as soon as its built. I saw the website on the back this weekend and hadn’t made the connection until then.
Thanks Jack!
It’s very nice of Phil to offer it as a free .pdf. Thank you.
My children have mostly been learning permaculture through osmosis. When your dad is a garden writer and mad horticultural scientist, you tend to pick some things up. Heh.
Thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy or given the PDF a free read.
I printed this book from Peak Prosperity’s website and I have read it myself several times. The pictures are so bright and it’s written so clearly to understand. I gave a copy to all of my grandchildren. Thank you so much for sharing.
Jane,
I’m so glad the book was of value to you.