Plant a Lemon Tree Day takes place every third Saturday in May. The day encourages people to plant lemon trees in their gardens and spread awareness about this immensely beneficial fruit. Plant a Lemon Tree Day was established to give lemon trees prominence everywhere. The exact origin and the founder of this day still remain unknown. Historians claim that lemons first grew in northern Burma, China, and Assam, in northeast India. Lemons are known to have been cultivated in Egypt and Iran since 700 A.D. and it is believed that they were introduced to southern Italy around 200 A.D. Scientists have estimated that the first citrus fruits started to grow around seven million years ago, and over the centuries, started producing the fruit we call ‘lemon’ today. A genomic study states that this citrus fruit is a result of a genetic cross between citron and sour oranges.
I thought this topic might be tricky to find books for, no it isn't. A quick search of the catalogue shows that books fall into three categories: lemons and lemon trees, lemonade and lemons in science.
1. lemons and lemon trees
When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree is an ideal place to start. A child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator's careful - and funny - instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community...and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.
Lemon Child by Nele Bronner. The lemons on the tree are finally ripe, and there is great excitement. Only one of the little lemons is still green. Little Toni has a mind of his own. The view from the lemon tree is enough for him. Who wants to go out into the big wild world? But soon Toni is the only lemon left hanging on the tree. Will he take a risk and jump? When Toni finally lets go, his courage is rewarded.
Trevor by Jim AverbeckThe story of a canary who befriends a lemon and finds that you don’t have to be two of a kind to form a meaningful and lasting friendship.
Under the Lemon Moon by Edith Hope Fine One night, Rosalinda is awakened by a noise in the garden. When she and her pet hen, Blanca, investigate, they see a man leaving with a large sack-full of fruit from Rosalinda's beloved lemon tree. After consulting with family and neighbors about how to save her sick tree, Rosalinda sets out in search of La Anciana, the Old One, the only person who might have a solution to Rosalinda's predicament.
Farmer McPhee isn't ready for what he's about to discover among his cherished bright yellow fruits . . . a red lemon!
When an enterprising young girl named Mandy finds herself with an abundance of sour lemons she finds a way to turn them into something sweet with a little help from her neighbours. A multicultural story, celebrating the way food can bring a community together.
When a little girl, Safiya, and her family help Maryam, a lost and confused stranger by the side of the road, to find her way home, they begin to understand who she is and the rich and remarkable life she has lived. Through kind-natured Safiya, we come to see Maryam, a woman who had been made invisible by society.
Sundays Under the Lemon Tree by Julia Busutill NishimuriFollows a young child's memorable Sunday, with the smells and sounds of family cooking, the adventure of collecting seawater to make ricotta, and the triumph of learning to bake a special family apple cake.
These last two books show how lemons are a part of culture and cooking and as such have a big role to play in some ethnicities.
2. Lemonade
Whenever and wherever there are lemons, suddenly someone suggests making lemonade. And then someone else suggests selling it. Next comes all the picture books with lemonade stands.
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