Farm Life [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Spurr (Author), Steve Bjorkman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2003 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Rhymed descriptions of life on a farm introduce basic colors and the numbers one to ten.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-With rhyming verse that calls to mind Bill Martin, Jr.'s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Holt, 1983), this concept book takes children on a tour of Farmer Dan's farm. The excursion begins with "Red barn, red barn, what are you keeping?/One rumbling tractor ready for reaping,/One baler, one sower,/one thresher, one mower./This is the farm life-but only a part." The pages take readers through blue, green, brown, and gray barns, and the numbers from 1 to 10, before coming home to the "White house, white house-./This is the farm life-the whole and the heart." The lighthearted lilt of the verses is reflected in the sketchy style of the paintings. Done in watercolor and pen and ink, the illustrations capture the essence of the rhyme, and offer a story of their own and a touch of humor. The sleepy sows lounge on their backs in very humanlike poses, and Farmer Dan and his piglets have similar contented smiles. The spreads are subtly linked by small details. The green barn appears on the horizon as children read about the blue one. Nearly unseen next to the green barn is a kitten from the upcoming page. The font, with a large handwritten look, fits stylistically with the illustrations. The division of the verses works smoothly and allows the art to show each animal, crop, or piece of equipment mentioned. A farm glossary is appended, but the book is not an information source on farm life. It is an attractive introduction to some basic colors and numbers.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. From its opening lines, "Red barn, red barn, what are you keeping? One rumbling tractor ready for reaping," this innovative concept book is off at a trot, teaching basic colors and numbers from 1 to 10 while exploring a traditional family-run farm. Bjorkman's energetic watercolors reveal the contents of each farm building. Six cuddly kittens can be counted in the green barn's loft; seven heifers are sheltered in the brown barn surrounded by muddy muck; nine sows sleep in humorous poses in the hay. The lilting rhyme repeats, encompassing each building and animal into a view of farm life that leads up to "the whole and the heart" of the farm--the nuclear family in the tidy, white farmhouse, where two children play, Mom is in the kitchen, and Dad comes in from his chores. The concluding double-page picture of the entire farm underscores the book's warm and idyllic, if perhaps old-fashioned, image of farm life. Ellen Mandel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823417778
• ISBN-13: 978-0823417773
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,552,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Glendale, California, Elizabeth graduated in Journalism at the University of Southern California. She was a newspaper editor, then an advertising copywriter before retiring to raise five children. Her first picture book, Mrs. Minetta's Carpool, was published in 1985. Since then she has produced many notable books for children.

Elizabeth has taught a number of classes in picture book writing, has spoken at a number of conferences, and often visits schools. She is married to Jim McCoy and lives in Cayucos, CA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, June 21, 2008

By 

Karalynn M. Tyler "Mrs_T" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farm Life (Hardcover)

My 2 year old LOVES this book. She loves the rhyming phrases, the counting, and the colors all combined into a story with her favorite thing- farm animals. Very well written and illustrated!