PORTRAIT OF A FARM FAMILY

Bial follows the Steidinger family from sun up to sun down, observing with clear full-color photos and text, life on a small dairy farm. City kids may be a little awed by the double commitment the Steidinger's eight children have, not only to their own lives and school, but also to running the farm. While Bial has chosen an exemplary family in his portrait, he is frank in informing readers that life's not rosy for all small farm owners. He includes charts and statistics on the decline of such enterprises in the US, and highlights some of the creative ways farmers have survived, by diversifying their crops, or offering ``U-pick'' crops for the public. Also mentioned: struggles with the weather, chemical pollution, and takeovers by larger businesses. His photos crisply capture the midwestern landscapes of flat fields of green corn, mirrored overhead by endless stretches of blue sky. An armchair field trip that brings home all the hard work involved in raising food, long before it hits the supermarket. (bibliography) (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-12)