Farmer George Plants a Nation is a picture book for older readers focuses on George Washington as farmer, inventor, and scientist. Infused with excerpts from George's letters and diaries, the narrative makes a convincing case for Washington's place as the nation's First Farmer. He invented a combination plow-tiller-harrow, tested different fertilizers, and bred donkeys and horses to create strong mules. His goal to make Mount Vernon self-sufficient carried over to his goal to make the new country independent. Layne Johnson's richly colored oil paintings portray the Colonial era with fine details. The book includes a timeline of Washington's life; shares his views on slavery, and includes a bibliography of additional reading materials and websites.
 
Peggy Thomas is the author of more than a dozen books for children and young adults including the award-winning picture book For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson. Thomas is also an instructor for the Institute of Children's Literature and a frequent speaker at schools and conferences. She lives in Middleport, New York.