Town & Country

I spied this very cute children's book in a second hand bookshop a few weeks ago.  Its not a particularly old book (it was first published in 1984) but I really loved the naive style of illustrations and the story about the difference between living in a town or big city, and living in the country. 

In a big city, you may live in a furnished room or a town house or a mansion, but most people who live in a really big city live in a block of flats and almost everyone who visits a big city stays in a hotel.

When you are hungry you can go out to eat in a restaurant - any kind of restaurant, an Indian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant,, or a French cafe.  There are Kosher restaurants and Fish Bars and Salad Bars and Health-food cafeterias.

A farm in the country is a quiet place with lots of space.  Beside your house there are barns and stables and tool sheds and tractor sheds.  There are fields and fences and streams and trees.

There are lots of things you grow, like eggs and apples and all kinds of vegetables.  Everything tastes so good when its fresh from your garden.  Digging, raking, planting and weeding a garden is a lot of work, but it is worth it. 

It sums up my dilemma - do I want to live in a city where I can eat at any kind of restaurant, or in the country where I can have a quiet place with lots of space..... 

Town & Country by Alice and Martin Provensen.