A Farm Through Time: The History of a Farm from Medieval Times to the Present Day

by Angela Wilkes, Eric Thomas (Illustrator)

Have you ever wondered what life on a farm was like hundreds of years ago? This beautiful book tells the story of one farm and the people who worked on it from medieval times to the present day. Evocative illustrations by Eric Thomas reflect the rhythm of the seasons and their accompanying tasks, from plowing and sowing to harvesting and haymaking, while flaps lift to reveal changing activities inside the farm buildings. Angela Wilkes's finely crafted text details the changing nature of life on a farm, capturing the atmosphere of days gone by. Follow the history of a farm as it develops from a small piece of land rented from the local lord of the manor in the 9th century, into a large, mechanized farm of the 21st century. A Farm Through Time is not only the story of a farm -- it is a portrait of country people, a changing landscape, and of disappearing crafts. It is a book to treasure and return to time and time again.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Medieval, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wickes, Angela. A Farm Through Time. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2001. Nonfiction.

This nonfiction text by Angela Wickers explores the way that farms have changed and adapted throughout time. The information packed into this book is quite amazing, and is not meant to be read in a short amount of time. It’s more of a story that would be sifted through at leisure, looking at all the wealth of information it offers. The images set this book apart as a must for an elementary classroom. They are realistic, detailed, and rich in color. All the activity that is obviously going on with each page makes the reader stop and linger, trying to figure out the role of each machine and each person depicted.

[Ilana Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very educational, informative, and fun read. I admit, although this book is for kids, I had a lot of fun learning how farms have changed over the years with all the illustrations and inserts.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Farm Through Time provides kids a decent visual overview of changes in agricultural techniques over many centuries, as used on one hypothetical site. (The specific location isn't given, but I believe it's British?) The illustrations are nicely detailed (though I wished they would have had a consistent perspective across pages like in A Street Through Time, to facilitate comparisons of the size/layout of the farm across eras). While the text ends on a bit of a downer, it does effectively explain important details in the art while also highlighting economic patterns throughout the book. Overall, not quite as engrossing as A Street Through Time, but worth checking out for elementary-age and up.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as "A Street Through Time" and "A City Through Time" - the illustrations are not quite as detailed or humorous. Given its focus being a rural setting, the changes that are depicted are also not quite as distinct, therefore providing fewer obvious discussion points. It is, however, still a fantastic resource about the history of agriculture, food production, and rural life.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for kids! I learned a lot myself!

[Muriel Hammond-teusink · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Une Ferme au Fil du Temps" - excellent read for intermediate reader in French.