On the Farm
(Paws, Fins, Feathers, Claws)

Farmyard books are a dime a dozen, but this one is a worthwhile addition, for those poems that reach beyond the ordinary and for the good-natured illustrations that complement them.

Handsome...From toddlers to the youngest poets, children will delight in the fun and beauty on display here.
--Booklist (starred review)

From an alluring cover with a rooster in full crow to its concluding, gently ironic ode to the silence of rabbits, this book will make an unusually interesting choice for farm-animal storytimes.
--The Horn Book (starred review)

PreS-Gr 2Elliott looks at a rooster, a cow, a pony, a dog, sheep, a barn cat, a goat, a pig, a snake, bees, a bull, a turtle, a duck, a hen, and a rabbit in verses that are rich in vocabulary and, for the most part, written in rhyme. Large, black typeface mirrors the black lines in Meade's beautiful, color woodblock prints that superbly reflect the mood and action in the poetry. There is motion in the illustrations of the strutting, crowing rooster; the kicking hind legs of the pony; and the head-butting rams. In contrast, the artwork appropriately reflects the stillness of the grazing cows and watchful barn cat. The verses flow when read aloud and the double-page pictures can be easily seen by a group. As an extension activity, have children compare and contrast this book with Lee Bennett Hopkins's "On the Farm" (Little, Brown, 1991; o.p.). Elliott and Meade have crafted a picture book well worth adding to any size library collection."Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Like the vibrant rooster on this oversize book's jacket, Meade's ("Hush! A Thai Lullaby") colored woodcut prints are so bold they seem to crow at the reader. Leaves look bigger than life, and each chicken scratch in the barnyard dust leaves a strong, black line. Elliott's ("And Here's to You!)" short, simple poems often seem overwhelmed by the pictures, which feature animals that stare intently at the reader, as if their morning activities were being interrupted by someone with a camera. Taking a roster of the farm residents, the poems include the occasional striking image (the pig has a tail as coy as a ringlet), and more frequently comment on the animals' obvious characteristics (the cow makes milk/ standing/ grazing./ Abra-/ cada-/ bra!/ She's/ utterly/ amazing!). As brief as they are, often just a sentence or two, the poems talk to both adults and preschoolers. A comment about the turtle's fossil head will be of less interest to children than the idea that in [the turtle's] house, / it's always night. While some illustrations are stiff and anthropomorphic, overall this old-fashioned farm stands in for an idyllic existence, a time and place where the bees tell their story, / sweet and old. Ages 3-5. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.