One day, when Rollo was between five and six years old, he went out to prove himself in the garden. In a corner of the family plot, where his father had given him a little square area to dig, Rollo planted corn. He watched the soil for two days -- two! -- and the corn would not grow! What was the matter? Why, he would plant it again -- and this time with beans! Gardening is only the beginning of Rollo's long list of tasks -- some greatly pleasurable, some less so. With the companionship and guiding hand of the gentle handyman, Jonas, Rollo undertakes the gathering of wood chips, the piling of firewood, and the sorting of nails -- and none of the tasks seem quite so simple as he expected!

Author Biography

Jacob Abbott (1803 - 1879) was an American writer of children's books. His Rollo Books, such as Rollo at Work, Rollo at Play, Rollo in Europe, etc., are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. To follow up his Rollo books, he wrote of Uncle George, using him to teach the young readers about ethics, geography, history, and science. He also wrote 22 volumes of biographical histories and a 10 volume set titled the Franconia Stories.