The Farmer in the Dell

Here the celebrated picture-book artist Ilse Plume has imagined a fresh and very American setting for the lyrics a farmstead in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. A young Amish farmer takes a wife, the beautiful wife takes a child, the child takes a nurse, the nurse takes a dog, and with each successive verse the seasons turn, the farmer grows older, and his farm grows more prosperous, more lively, more richly populated. Ms. Plume's colored-pencil drawings are inspired by the folk art and decorative motifs of the Pennsylvania Dutch. They are as comforting as a star-patterned quilt, and as sweet, warm, and delightful as a homemade apple pie. Includes sheet music, lyrics, and directions for playing the game.