This book is the story of a year in the life of an orchard told for children through photographs plus a little text. Produced by the Brighton Permaculture Trust and Action in Rural Sussex, it begins by highlighting some of the county’s apples, that is those that have arisen there, such as Sussex Mother, Mannington’s Pearmain and Alfriston. Then the orchard story opens with children planting trees, spring blossom and pollination, moving on to summer and autumn harvests and winter pruning. There are double page spreads on cooking with apples, wild life in the orchard and some charming images of fruit from, for example, a painting of Adam and Eve to an embroidered cushion cover. The aim is to encourage an interest in growing apples or at least eating local apples with the message that apple trees are fascinating and orchards wonderful places. Well presented in a spacious format, it could well serve as a guide for many other regional fruit groups as a way to engage the next generation in enjoying apples, getting involved with planting fruit trees and understanding the ways in which orchards contribute to local life and landscapes.

Joan Morgan

Our Apple Orchard by Anne-Marie Bur with photographs by Anne Purkiss and others for Brighton Permaculture Trust and Action in rural Sussex, 2011; 32 pp, many colour photographs; £3.50 plus p&p.  Available from Action in Rural Sussex, Sussex House, 212 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2NH (01273 473422); order: http://ruralsussex.org.uk/blog/?p=584