How a Shirt Grew in the Field

by Marguerita Rudolph (Adaptor), Konstantin Ushinsky, Yaroslava Surmach Mills (Illustrator)

Curious about where the cloth for his shirt comes from, Vasya watches as his father sows flax seeds, the flax seeds sprout and grow, and the plants are harvested and made into cloth by his mother and sisters.

Genres: Family

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Barbara Radisavljevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day in the spring, Vasya asked his father why he was throwing seeds in the field. "'I am sowing flax seeds , so that shirts will grow for you and baby Anya,' said his father." Vasya couldn't imagine how a shirt could grow in the field, but he waited and watched every day as the seasons came and went, as the flax was harvested and processed. And, yes, one day he did have a shirt. This simple, poetic story of life in the Ukranian countryside was originally published over 100 years ago, when linen cloth was still made by hand. For ages 4-8.