Review by Booklist Review
This clever counting book centers on a sleepy barnyard disrupted by a flock of wild turkeys. Stiegemeyer's rhyming text first describes quiet, evocative images: summer fireflies, crickets chirping, and animals just settling into nighttime slumber one horse, two calves, three kittens, four sheep. Suddenly, the turkeys swoop in and cause all kinds of ruckus. As the animal numbers increase, the turkeys crash into a chicken coop, thump around the water pump, slop through the pigsty, and more. When the sleepy farmer, roused from his bed, vows to turn the turkeys into dinner, the other barnyard animals band together to hide their naughty friends, resulting in a countdown that ends with one lone horse. Gorbachev's muted watercolors ably capture both the quiet and the chaos. Kids will adore the art, as well as the action, the counting practice, and the chance to spot the turkeys hiding out in the last few spreads.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In rhythmic couplets, a numbers game unfolds: one horse, two cows, three kittens settle down for the night, only to be awakened by four noisy wild turkeys ("Gobble, gobble, crash!") that disturb everyone as they fly from the barn to the sty to the henhouse, finally waking the farmer and his wife, who vow to "have a turkey feast!" At that, all of the farm animals quiet down ("Gobble, gobble, sshhh!") and hide the four turkeys, as the counting reverses from 10 baby robins back to one horse, and everyone goes back to sleep, including the befuddled farmer-but not for long. Gorbachev's action-filled illustrations add to the fun. His animals cavort against moonlit teal backgrounds, with the text printed in white. Children will have fun spotting the hiding turkeys and should greatly enjoy the whole bash.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Do not be fooled: This is not a Thanksgiving tale. It is, however, a counting, rhyming, barnyard, bedtime story. And the humor and illustrations actually make it all work. A rafter of wild turkeys disrupts the sleep of all the barnyard animals as they flap and crash about the farm. Things really get heated when the farmer, mighty grouchy at his midnight awakening, vows to turn the turkeys into dinner. Aghast, the rest of the animals hide the turkeys while the farmer searches about. The rhyming text conveys all the action in sturdy couplets, at the same time giving readers the opportunity to count the animals and their offspring from one to ten all along the way. Gorbachev's characteristic ink-and-watercolor artwork incorporates cool greens and blues that set the sleepy tone and make the whole barnyard seem peaceful and inviting--except, of course, when the turkeys crash the scene again. A lively addition to any preschooler or storytime collection. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
