Wisconsin Ag Connection - Children's 'Coolbean' Book Released in Electronic Format

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Children's 'Coolbean' Book Released in Electronic Format
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 04/14/2015

The 'Coolbean the Soybean' book developed last year by state soybean specialist Shawn Conley is now available in electronic form. Previously released as a traditional graphic children's book, Coolbean transformed to an e-book in response to a generation of students who want educational texts in a friendly format.

Conley, who is an agronomy professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said his story follows the life of Coolbean the Soybean to help children learn about agronomic, crop and soil sciences. Along the way, Coolbean explains modern farming techniques, how a seed becomes a plant and then produces a crop. The book tells the story of how soil, sunshine, and water affect the growth of the plant.

"I wanted to develop a fun, yet educational, tool to help teach today's youth about where food comes from, career opportunities in agriculture, and explain why soybeans are so important, not only here in the US, but around the world," says Conley. "My daughters were the main reason for writing this book, but I also remember being inspired at an early age by my first and second grade teacher, Mrs. Swiggum. Hopefully this book can help inspire the next generation of agricultural scientists."

New to the e-book is a special feature that encourages kids to think like a scientist. It also includes videos of farm equipment at work in the field, links to further activities, and a friendly quiz to test comprehension.

"It is critical to get kids actively involved and excited about science at an early age," Conley says. "Coolbean the Soybean is a great vehicle to start that journey!"

The book is published jointly by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America in partnership with the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.

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