From Publishers Weekly
Chorao (Baby's Lap Book) presents an onlooker's view of Long Island, N.Y.'s Smallholdings Farm and those who make it run. Opening in the relatively quiet winter months, the narrative follows Farmer Brown and his family through four seasons, as they care for animals, plant and harvest crops and market their bounty in both their "selling room" and roadside stand. While intently focused on these activities, both text and art keep the Browns oddly at bay (for example, the author never names the children; instead she refers to them quite formally as "one of the Brown daughters" or "the Brown children"). A rare moment of levity occurs when four piglets escape from their pen, overturning cartons of produce and sending eggs flying. More compelling than her words, Chorao's sprawling, good-humored illustrations gracefully depict the colors and signs of the changing seasons. Rendered in gouache and pen-and-ink, the art also contains some images certain to appeal to children, including endearing glimpses of animal mothers and their babies snoozing in unexpected spots. Any youngster interested in a realistic picture of a working farm will find much of interest in these pages. Ages 4-9.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2ABased on a real establishment on Long Island, NY, this charming book depicts the activities on a small farm throughout the seasons. Chorao's prose is consistently evocative and quiet, and includes familiar and surprising details: "It is still winter. The little farm by the sea looks asleep. The fields are frozen under early morning frost, and the clamshell driveway is quiet." During the colder months, readers witness the chores that are done indoors: milking, feeding barn cats, mixing feed for the pigs. In the spring, the fields are planted, flowers bloom, and customers stop to pick strawberries. Summer brings a litter of pigs and fall means picking apples and taking the prize pumpkin to the county fair. Each season is beautifully illustrated in large, detailed gouache and pen-and-ink paintings that children can pore over, finding the details mentioned in the text, plus many more: cats sleep here and there, pigs cause mischief, and chicks hide in tall grass. The artwork and narrative complement each other well, creating an inviting, informative book.ALee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
