The Midnight Farm [Hardcover]

Reeve Lindbergh (Author), Susan Jeffers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1987 | Age Level: 4 and up

An illustrated prose poem to calm any fears of the dark, in which the dogs and cats, the horses, the geese and the cows, and all the animals big and small who live in the fields surrounding the midnight farm are safe and well.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A child is initiated into the mysteries of the dark hours of midnight at the farm. In the maple tree, a raccoon family is seen making a home alongside an owl; the barnyard farm geese wait for wild geese to pass; in the stable and the barn, horses and cows stand and stare; in the back, sheep huddle close to stay warm. Deer gather near the orchard pond; and on the old stone wall, field mice hide their seeds and berries. This is a rare depiction of the "heart of the darkness," not only as a safe, snug place, but as a celebration of life, hope and wonder. Jeffers's night world is carved out from the majesty of nature and the awe of creation. The subdued colors of darkness have never been happier; a fine-line pen shapes every square inch of the farm and overshadows all creatures, large and small. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (September 30, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803703317
• ISBN-13: 978-0803703315
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Cadences for Bedtime, January 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Midnight Farm (Hardcover)

This book was a favorite of my son many years ago (he's now 12) and is now a favorite of my daughter (2). Both love/d the idea of the mother taking her child out of bed to visit everything in the dark -- the dog sleeping in the chair, the geese milling outside the barn, the horses dozing in their stalls, the mice sleeping in the old stone wall, etc. Miss Lindbergh's prose is comforting and lulling: "Here is the dark of the midnight farm, safe and still and full and warm, deep in the dark and free from harm, in the dark of the midnight farm..." A great book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for quelling fears of the dark night, July 9, 2003

By 

christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Houston Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Midnight Farm (Hardcover)

Really the title should have been "here is the dark" as this is the repetitive line on every page that is such a great line!

The book starts off in the bedroom of a little boy whose mother is telling him of what is happening in the darkness. She talks of the darkness in the room. Then they move out into the hall and outside, each step along the way she is pointing out what is in the darkness (the same things as were there when it was light). When they go outdoors they see both wild animals and farm animals and they see what they are doing in the dark. In the beginning the rhyme points to one item, then goes up to ten as the pages are turned. The last page summarizes that all the animals are "safe and still and warm, deep in the dark and free from harm, in the dark of the midnight farm".

The text does not say so but it is apparent that the little boy was afraid of the dark and that this is the mothers' creative way to show him what is happening in the dark and that "life goes on" in the dark and that everyone and everything is safe in the dark. The last image is of the boy sleeping in his bedroom alone while mother looks over him.

The illustrations are beautiful. My children and I loved the rhyme and the repetitive nature, along with the counting up from one to ten.

Despite the publisher's age range, I feel this is fine for two year old's.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story, beautifully told, July 9, 2001

By 

Triocat "TrioCat" (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Midnight Farm (Hardcover)

This lovely story is so soft and lyrical, it is a joy to read and a pleasure to listen to. As night falls, a mother and child visit all of the animals on the farm, settling down for the night.