Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life: A Story of Sustainable Farming

Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education
Notable Books for a Global Society, International Literacy Association (ILA)
Notable Books for a Global Society, International Literacy Association (ILA)
Honor Book Award, Society of School Librarians International
Notable Children's Book, Smithsonian
Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education
John Burroughs Young Readers Award, John Burroughs Association/American Museum of Natural History
Notable Children's Book, Smithsonian
Parents' Choice Recommended, Parents' Choice Foundation

A photographic exploration of the cycles of traditional Balinese rice farming, a dynamic model of earth-friendly agriculture that connects a unique culture with the natural world.

On the island of Bali in Southeast Asia, rice farming is a way of life. The people live in tune with the natural rhythms and cycles of the water and the soil. Ingrained in their community and culture, rice farming connects them to the land and one another.

Balinese farmers have planted rice using an intricate system of water sharing and crop rotation for more than a thousand years. Intertwined with their spiritual, social, and day-to-day lives, this system has made Bali a leading producer of one of the world's most important crops. And because Balinese rice farming respects the balances of nature, it serves as a remarkable example of sustainable agriculture in an increasingly industrialized world.

With lush photographs and captivating text, Jan Reynolds explores the traditional world of rice farming on the beautiful island of Bali. Readers of all ages will come away with an enhanced awareness of how we farm, eat, and live today, and the effects these practices have on the world of tomorrow.

Jan Reynolds is an award-winning author and photographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic, The New York Times, and Outside magazine. All seven books in her Vanishing Cultures series of photo-essays for children were recognized as Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and she is also the author of Celebrate! Connections Among Cultures; Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life; and Only the Mountains Do Not Move. Reynolds holds the world record for women's high altitude skiing, was part of the first expedition to circumnavigate Mount Everest, and performed a solo crossing of the Himalayas. She lives with her family in Stowe, Vermont. Please visit her on the web at janreynolds.com.