Rice Is Life

Download or read book Rice Is Life written by Rita Golden Gelman and published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR). This book was released on 2000-05-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Bali, as in many parts of the world, rice is more than just a staple food-rice is life! In Bali, life revolves around the planting and harvesting of rice. While eels slip through the mud and dragonflies flutter overhead, farmers plant seedlings in the wet rice field, or 'saweh.' Soon each plant is crowned with flowers, and tiny green kernels appear. Rain nourishes the kernels, which grow plump and sweet. The green plants turn golden and ripe, and everyone helps harvest the grain. When the harvest is finished, the farmers give thanks to the goddess of rice for a successful crop. From planting the seeds to harvesting the ripe grain, this beautiful, poetic book tells the story of rice and of the Balinese people, for whom rice is life.