Monday Mix: To Market, To Market Book Review

To Market, To Market by Nikki McClure (Abrams Books for Young Readers, $17.95)

I will admit right away that the entire Big Blue Marble Bookstore are big fans of artist/author Nikki McClure. She's a self-taught artist and mama, interested in capturing the beauty in motherhood, the changing of the seasons, and living a sustainable and simple life. She works with an X-acto knife, creating intricate paper cuts. Her newest picture book is a gorgeous tribute to visiting the Olympia, Washington farmer's market every week. Her family's market list becomes a list of stories of gratitude to each person responsible for their basket of goodies- from the farmers who grow the dark green kale to the man who smokes salmon bought directly from local fishers to the artisan Yukie, who uses the indigo plant and wax to dye and then batik beautiful cloth napkins.

This book details what each person does to produce what ends up in your household. It's such an inspiring story to read and really contemplate what it takes to support a community, and almost depressing to read when you think of how little thought goes into these mass-produced and highly processed food products we take home every day. It's hard to buy all locally grown food and products when you're just trying to get by financially, but this book truly inspired me again to support my neighbors and embrace Philadelphia as much as we sustainably can.