Barn at Night

by Michelle Houts, Jen Betton (Illustrator)

Overview

When you grow up on a farm, adventures happen all day long—even at night! On a cold winter evening, a father and daughter go out to the barn and are welcomed with a warm scene. Who is awake, who is asleep, and who is just making their first appearance in the barn? Michelle Houts' lyrical poetry paired with Jen Betton's glowing watercolors create a warm and wonderful bedtime story—best shared together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948898058
Publisher:	Feeding Minds Press
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	484,235
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Michelle Houts is the author of more than a dozen books for young readers. Her debut novel, The Beef Princess of Practical County, has been featured by the American Farm Bureau Foundation and won a Best Book of the Year from Nebraska Farm Bureau. Houts writes from a restored one-room schoolhouse in Ohio. Find out more at www.michellehouts.com. Jen Betton loves to draw and write stories for kids! In Kindergarten she got into trouble for drawing presents on a picture of Santa, and she's been illustrating ever since. Her picture books include Hedgehog Needs a Hug, published with Putnam (winner of Pennsylvania's Keystone to Reading Book Award) and Twilight Chant, written by Holly Thompson, published with Clarion (a NCTE Notable Book).

Editorial Reviews

"Quiet and peaceful—an antidote to the daytime hustle and bustle of city life." —Kirkus Reviews

"Beautifully written and softly illustrated, the book is a gentle introduction for the young child to life (and chores) on the farm." —Chat With Vera Book Reviews

From the Publisher

2021-07-14
To anyone who imagines a barn is tranquil at night: Guess again.

This sweet story describes in gentle detail, especially for those unfamiliar with farm life, what really goes on in a barn during seemingly peaceful nighttime hours. A young farm child narrates in calming, lilting tercets, informing readers about the important chores that must be accomplished, predawn, even in the coldest weather, to ensure that all the animals are fed and well and lovingly cared for. It’s routine stuff that conscientious farmers must tend to every evening, but sometimes there are wonderful surprises: the birth of a new foal, for instance, who, upon arising on spindly, wobbly legs, helps the humans and fellow barn residents welcome a new day. City kids will pick up facts about what some barnyard animals eat and what a barn smells like. Adding to the cuteness factor, note that cats play a prominent role in a number of the soft, gentle, hazy color illustrations, set mostly inside the shadowy barn; sometimes, the felines seem to supervise the farm family’s activities. The narrator and adult farmer are painted with ruddy skin and straight hair (when it can be seen). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quiet and peaceful—an antidote to the daytime hustle and bustle of city life. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews