Down by the Barn

Product Description Down by the barn, early in the morning, a farmer drives his tractor, stopping along the way to pick up a calf, then a chick, then a pig. The group of animals grows and grows until at last they reach their destination...and find a surprise. Charming illustrations and rhythmic text filled with sound words make this the perfect read-aloud for young children. From School Library Journal PreS-K—Fans of Hillenbrand's Down by the Station (Houghton Harcourt, 2002), in which young zoo animals board a train, will appreciate this companion title. In this cheerful story, young animals riding in carts behind a tractor meet up with a group of children disembarking from a school bus for storytime on the farm. The simple yet comforting text contains repetitive phrases, such as "See the tractor driver pull his little lever…" and invites youngsters to join the reader in making the ever-lengthening sounds of the passengers as they board the tractor ("Puff, Puff, click, clank, moo, moo, peep, peep, OFF WE GO!"). The story even contains a moment of dramatic tension when a fox, which has been watching the animals on every page, leaps out to grab a chick. He is put in his place and ends up listening to storytime with the other animals and children. The bright and cheerful illustrations feature a cast of endearing animals and lots of humorous details. The exuberant art, combined with the pattern and repetition in the text, makes this a perfect read aloud.—Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA From Booklist This exuberant companion to Hillenbrand’s Down by the Station (2002) will garner as many fans as the first. A doggy farmer hooks two hay-filled wagons to his tractor and goes about collecting the young animals on his farm. A scarecrow, carrying a bright-red book, and a skunk jump on the last wagon and how the scarecrow uses the book creates a delightful and satisfactory ending to the engaging story. The new words work relatively well with the song’s rhyming scheme, and the name of each youngster is included in the verses: calf, piglet, gosling, and kid, for example. There is much to keep children entertained, in addition to the large, bright mixed-media illustrations. For example, the refrain adds each animal’s sound in a cumulative manner: “Puff, puff, clink, clank” at the start soon includes “moo, moo, peep, peep, wee, wee,” etc. Sharp-eyed children will be able to predict which animal will be next to jump on the wagon train, and a fox can be found skulking on almost every page. Fun! Preschool-Grade 1. --Maryann Owen Review “Fifteen years after his Down by the Station, Hillenbrand offers a cheerful companion book that transplants the familiar nursery rhyme to a rural setting.” — Publishers Weekly “The bright and cheerful illustrations feature a cast of endearing animals and lots of humorous details. The exuberant art, combined with the pattern and repetition in the text, makes this a perfect read aloud.” — School Library Journal “This exuberant companion book to Hillenbrand’s Down by the Station (2002) will garner as many fans as the first.” — Booklist “An upbeat book with a delightful chorus.” — Library Media Connection About the Author Will Hillenbrand wrote and illustrated Down by the Barn in response to fans of Down by the Station, who wished for a companion book. Will has written and/or illustrated more than 50 books. He lives with his wife, Jane, and their son, Ian, in Terrace Park, Ohio. To learn more, visit: www.willhillenbrand.com