Every year at the Indiana State Fair there is plenty of farm equipment to see, and now some new children’s books can help explain more about that equipment in a fun but very educational way. The “Casey & Friends” book series now includes Big Tractors which joins A Year on the Farm with Casey & Friends released earlier this year.
Author Holly Dufek is an educator who grew up in an agricultural community.
“This series is so dear to my heart,” she told HAT. “I love the country, farming, it’s just so important, especially in this day and age where if you aren’t raised in a rural community you don’t necessarily know everything that goes into farming or even the equipment and how awesome it is and all the science and technology behind it.”
The books feature pictures of Case IH equipment, and illustrations of Casey the farmer, Tillus the worm, and Big Red the tractor created by Paul Nunn, a Pixar Cars artist.
“Paul is wonderful,” Dufek said, “and really the books are so jammed packed with information so Paul’s role is so vital because he makes the books fun with all the illustrations. He had created the character Big Red even before the books were even a thought. He was brought on by Case IH to create Big Red for a completely different project.
A Year on the Farm with Casey & Friends introduces children to the world of modern farming by teaching them about the different jobs a farmer does each season. Casey and her team show how tractors, combines and other equipment plant and harvest crops, work on the farm, and care for animals.
Big Tractors with Casey & Friends shows how the biggest, most powerful tractors handle the demanding jobs of pulling and powering on the farm. Find out how Big Red and Sammy, the biggest tractors on the farm, use their powerful muscles to work in the field with the rest of the team.
Combines with Casey & Friends, available this month, explains the step-by-step processes used to harvest crops by the most complex machines on the farm.
Planters & Cultivators with Casey & Friends, due in October, features the specialized farm equipment used to cultivate, plant and spray crops. Learn how Tammi the Tiller, Evan the Early Riser Planter and Peter the Patriot Sprayer work together to make this year’s crop bigger than ever. Explore the science of soil and discover how Casey’s team keeps it healthy.
Dufek also said the fiction book Casey’s Bright Red Christmas will be available later this year in time for Christmas.
The books are published by Octane Press and available at their website and https://www.shopcaseih.com/.
Hear more from Holly in the full HAT interview:Holly Dufek