M is for Mason Jar: Book Review and Giveaway

Would you like to know how some children spend their days without screens? Let’s take a look inside M is for Mason Jar, an ABC picture book featuring children of modern-day homesteaders.

The Author

Carolyn Bennett Fraiser produces content for an international non-profit, teaches writing workshops for middle and high school students, and serves on the board of a literacy camp in her community.

She is a children’s author and life-long lover of books and nature. Her work is published in several magazines and has several published books for children. Fraiser states on her website, carolynbfraiser.com, her passion is to inspire curiosity and a love of reading in children of all ages.

In addition to writing, Fraiser enjoys playing the piano and hiking. She and her husband live in western North Carolina.

About M is for Mason Jar

Children aged five and under will relish the ABC format using alliterations. In addition, they’ll savor the sweet illustrations by Sally Garland who uses colorful watercolors with a soft and simple approach.

The family featured incorporates a grandmother, a young man, a young woman, and three children. Multiple skin colors grace the pages.

Because the people in the book are illustrated wearing the same outfits on every page it makes me think all of the activities take place in one day. I am curious about the location of this farm that displays a variety of fruits and vegetables including oranges, olives, and vanilla beans!

Homesteading is a lot of work but seems very satisfying to the family.

From baking and canning to gathering eggs and gardening, it helps when the whole family comes together. And, there’s even time for one person to get a quick nap—but, it’s not Grandma!

This is an educational book about what it’s like to live on a farm. It introduces concepts some children may want to learn more about, such as how the windmill works or how foods stay fresh when canned. The book will serve as a springboard for further research and discussions. Also, it serves as a great introduction tool before visiting a farm or learning about one of the skills mentioned.

If you want more ideas, the author includes a page at the back of the book with twenty-six ways kids can try their hand at a homesteading skill. These range from simple tasks such as carrying a basket of supplies to the garden to more complex like learning how and why to save seeds for the following year.

Autographed Copy of M is for Mason Jar

This book is fun to read aloud. The illustrations are cute and heartwarming. Country kids and city slickers alike will enjoy M is for Mason Jar.

We greatly appreciate Familius Publishing and the author kindly donating an autographed copy of the book as a giveaway to one of you. We’ll select a name from this blog’s email subscriber list on October 31, 2025 as the winner of the book.

I’ll announce the winner here on this blog post, and I’ll contact the winner via email from this website. Winners have two weeks to respond to my email. If they do not, I take that as a nod to select another winner. Thank you, Familius Publishing, for the book and taking care of the shipping costs.

CONGRATULATIONS Tracie Sue! Your name was randomly selected from our email subscriber list as the winner of this book. Look for an email from this website. We give winners two weeks to respond before selecting another winner. Please respond by Nov. 13 to receive this beautiful book.

I received a FREE copy of this product for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.