It's Corn Picking Time!

by Jill Esbaum, Melissa Crowton (illustrator)

Hop in the tractor and ride along with a corn farmer in this rhyming read-aloud full of things that clack, whoosh, and roll!

It’s corn-picking time, and the farmer has all her tools ready! The cornhead gobbles the stalks. The spreader spits out chaff. The grain wagon fills with corn!

This is the farmer, whose happy heart leaps
at the sight of those first golden, glorious heaps!

Corn-picking time is a favorite season on author Jill Esbaum’s family farm, and the joy is sure to be shared by young lovers of tractors, trucks, and all manner of machines. Rhyming text pairs with Melissa Crowton’s colorful illustrations for a high-energy read kids will ask for again and again. Check out the copious information found at the end of the book to discover more about life on a farm.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Storytime, Childrens, Nature, Stem, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 29, 2025

About the author

Jill Esbaum is a full-time writer and author of I am Cow, Hear Me Moo!, I Hatched!, Stanza, and Tom’s Tweet, among many others. She lives on a farm with her husband and children in Dixon, IA.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. The rhyming text is at the same time spare and precisely detailed. Extensive back matter gives a great overview of corn farming in America. The illustrations are wonderful, too.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but just a few pages too long

[Louise M. Aamodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat for readers who love behind-the scene peeks like I do! Join a farmer, from sunup to sundown, as she harvests corn. Lyrical, rhyming text includes fun read-aloud word choices like whoosh, screeeeech, clack, and more. I admire authors who introduce kids to new vocabulary in a natural way through context, so words like chaff, auger, combine, and grain tank make perfect sense. I can just smell the corn steaming in the dryer! A must-have for any autumn bookshelf.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first lines made me imagine this would be a variant on "This is the house that Jack built." There are several superb picture books that use that template, and I had no doubt that Esbaum would do it well. But I was surprised and pleased to see that she used only that short intro phrase to explore (along with vibrant and only slightly abstracted images throughout) the people, places, tools, processes, and majesty of corn harvest on a modern farm.

"This is a farmer, her hat and her gloves,

This is the farm, a land that she loves."

are the opening lines that set not only the launching scene for corn-harvest day but also the warmth and emotional depth of life on a farm. An effort to construct a cumulative text would not ahve allowed each of the elements of this remarkable process to shine on its own.

From the screeching barn door to the keys tucked on a high shelf, readers are invited into THIS SPECIFIC farm, to join THIS farmer in THIS harvest. It becomes a very personal experience, and the stages involved rise above what I know to be a dusty, hot, exhausting task into satisfying, gratifying, and important work. It is also clear that farming, though occasionally lonely, is not a solo operation. Various folks of diverse ages, roles, and conditions play important parts. Even random bugs have their very authentic place on the shed shelves.

I was particularly impressed with the natural flow of language, with accurate terminology feeling natural and accessible within nearly musical text (chaff, auger, combine). The morning-to-night framework for the harvest story incorporates soaring scavenging birds, collaborative coworkers, prowling farm cats, a faithful watchdog, and young ones.

This is a story in which the corn is the star, but the adult farmer (female, POC) orchestrates the performance. Another frequently stated "rule" of writing picture books is that kids need to play the lead role, to solve the problem, etc. As with the prior-stated advice, this is often true. Unless it can be done as masterfully as this. The adult farmer is in every way integrated with her own family, other workers, and even into a society at large.

And the land. Always the land.

Back matter is handled equally well. Final spreads describe "LIFE ON A CORN FARM" through simple Q and As, along with enhancing spot illustrations. Jill and her husband live on a farm in Iowa, a home that has been in their family for over a hundred years. That suggests to me that the facts are reliable, but also that the heart of it is also authentic. As someone with farm family background, there's no denying that farming of any kind is demanding, wearing, and even sometimes heartbreaking. And yet farmers stay, and farm, and root themselves into the processes that feed us all. I admire this latest Esbaum effort for its skillful informational content, for the natural cycle of a day on the farm, and, of course, for the perfectly written rhyme. Illustrator Crowton shares my the praise for the many ways in which the color, design, and details portrayed expanded the warmth and clarity of CORN PICKING TIME!

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for a rolicking ride with this gorgeous introduction to combines and corn harvesting. The story opens in the pale light of early morning as a female farmer with brown skin and long black hair sits down to a steaming cup of coffee and a piece of toast, before pulling on her gloves and heading out to work. Lyrical text that never strains to rhyme accompanies Crowton’s striking illustrations, melding collage, ink, and pencil with digital enhancements. “This is the ladder the farmer must climb” reads the text as we watch her booted feet ascend to her cab, “When everything’s ready…it’s corn picking time!” The artwork reminded me of figures in books by Christian Robinson; they’re diverse, stylized, and simple, but full of personality. Details fill the pages — the farmer’s shed where she hides her keys, the tools scattered across her workbench, the wildlife that co-exists with the crop. It’s also fun to pick out the busy brown farm dog who appears in most of the pictures. Overhead shots show the farmer moving up and down between her glowing golden rows while Esbaum explains the whole fascinating harvest process with simple language. Kids will love the sight of the combine’s auger swinging over the grain wagon and with the push of a button, WOOSH – corn rushes out of the red chute, dramatically filling a two-page spread. As the day draws to a close, a conveyor moves the corn into a dryer and the farmer returns to her busy house, filled with the kids and adults we’ve seen all day long, helping out with the work. Two pages of back matter supply even more detail about life on a corn farm, including what happens to all that corn, how fast the combine goes, and whether farmers stop to have lunch. I loved having all the detailed information in the back of the book and found that Esbaum provided answers for every question I had!  Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be the first picture book [3.5 for me!] I've read about harvesting a large amount of field corn destined to feed livestock and as part of items such as glue, bread, batteries, and other common items. (Sidenote: I actually prefer field corn to sweet corn. My father always planted some rows of this corn for me when I was growing up.) The rhyming text and energetic artwork, created with paper, collage, ink, pencil, and digital techniques, keep things moving as readers are introduced to a farmer--a brown-skinned female! YAY!--as she and her helpers, including her husband or partner, use various large machines to harvest that corn. For readers unfamiliar with this process, the illustrations and back matter detailing more about corn farms will be revelatory. The pages show corn everywhere, each step in the process of getting it ready to ship out, even depicting the important grain dryer.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book. This is a great book exploring how corn is harvested with a combine. The main farmer featured is female, and she is shown driving the big red combine across the field. The text is told in a well-written rhyme, and includes specific words such as chaff, auger, and stalk. This would be a great addition to a farm themed storytime as so many farm books focus on the animals but there is a lot of interest in the machinery. There are also animals in this one, but more of the barn cat and farm dog variety. Easy rhythm to read, bright colorful pictures (art note says paper, collage, ink, pencil, and digital techniques) and informational text. Back matter includes more questions about life on a corn farm and additional suggested reading.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good title about the process of harvesting field corn using a combine. The double page spread illustration with three panels shows accurately the combine beginning in the field, moving forward and the stalks coming down. Very accurate depiction.
Illustrations were made using paper, collage, ink, pencil, and digital techniques.
Several pages of additional info are included , most in a question and answer format.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, unique subject matter: this is a rhyming story about life on a corn farm. Who knew how corn was picked and processed into just the kernels? Much less made palatable enough for a kids picture book. Kudos to the originality of the author/illustrator/publisher on this one! Don't forget to check out the back pages: More About Life on a Corn Farm.

Themes: corn/food, farms, harvesting/fall, nature, STEM, stories that rhyme
Ages: preK-2nd grade+
Pub year: 2025

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This farm to table book would make a fun read-aloud.
With great illustrations by Melissa Crowton.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading I was thinking, wow, this looks a lot like Iowa. And it is! It reminded me of my childhood running around on my grandparents' and my uncle's farms. And riding in the combine with my grandpa during harvest season.

I also love the addition of the informational back matter.

[Marilyn DeVries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Esbaum does an excellent job describing the hard work, sights, sounds, and aromas of harvesting field corn by following a farmer in a day of corn picking. Students can gain accurate information and an appreciation for farmers.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming text and bright illustrations introduce young readers to corn harvest day on a farm.
Back matter includes a surprising list of products derived from corn.
This title will be enjoyed by truck and machinery loving children and those who live on or near corn-growing farms.

[Amanda Zirn Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a farming family with littles who can't wait for "corn picking time" every year I know this will soon become a bedtime favorite! And yay for female main character farmers!

[Patricia Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so me following my grandpa around when I was growing up.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational and fun.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with lots of farm tools and tractors. Shows how corn is picked and what all needs to happen. Kids who love vehicles will like this book.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids who are fascinated by large vehicles and learning the way things work will get a kick out of this vibrant book that shows the steps of corn harvesting with the use of a combine.

[Melissa Carroll · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can not move past the fact that the farmer, who is a POC, looks like she is wearing a MAGA hat.

[Tara Olson Kazda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for a harvest storytime.

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this lyrical look at harvesting corn. Tons of neat details delivered in really simple language so adults can learn a lot too:)

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 5 out of 5]

very cute and informative as well as showcasing the existence of female and diverse farmers.

[Laura Salas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this tour of a farm at corn picking time! Great rhyme and rhythm, and I learned lots!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cumulative poem with great illustrations.

[Shoshanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating picture book about how field corn is harvested on a contemporary farm! lots of questions answered in the back of the book to explain more about the process!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just a beautiful book, in both text and illustrations.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old daughter only had a little trouble reading this.

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2026 Texas 2x2 List. A rhyming look at a woman farmer and the process and tools used during corn picking time. Full of diverse illustrations highlight the brief story while the end matter consisting of questions and answers about corn.This was informational.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In easy-to-read-aloud rhyme, this book is just right! A wonderful addition to any fall reading time in school or the library. The page turns, and the sounds of the harvest are blended into the storyline seamlessly. And there is a very satisfying ending!

I'm a farm girl and recognized all the items Esbaum mentioned, but there are very clear drawings on each page and a complete listing in the extensive back matter for the "agrarian impaired"!

This book has already garnered several professional reviews and recommendations, and it deserves every one!