Mr Barleycorn picks a green baby growing on his land, letting loose the incredible power of nature. When melons grow in the kitchen and apples sprout out of their television, Mrs Barleycorn says the Greenling has to go. But the bounty and beauty of nature has a strange power - the power to bring a whole community together. The gaps in the text encourage speculation and imagination. An ecological fable with themes around prejudice and fear of the unknown. The stunning illustrations have a sense of the surreal and invite exploration and discussion. The gaunt figures of the Barleycorns call to mind Grant Wood's painting 'American Gothic'.