Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Every full-color double-page spread glows with warmth as the rhyme begins: Here is the barn / Hear the wind rattle / Open the door / And see all the cattle. A huge red barn entices children to turn the page, where they see not only six cows but also two goats, six chicks and a mother hen, and a watchful cat peering out the window. Winter is coming, and it's time for all the animals to move indoors. Scurrying field mice and trotting horses move inside, as the large illustrated fonts chorus, squeak squeak and Neigh shiver shiver. Jonathan the farmer welcomes a silky newborn calf into the world, where it rests cozily in the hay, surrounded by the barn animals, safe from the whistling whooo of the wind. All crowd together for a happy ending, secure from the rattling gusts and snowy cold. Observant children will love finding the different animals, from snuffling pigs to whizzing bats. Artwork in pencil, watercolor, gouache, and pastel helps to create the detailed world of the barn, a place of warmth and safety. The mist from the horses' breath, and whoosh of the wind bending the grasses and swirling the manes make visible nature's power. A glorious tribute to Brown's timeless classic.--Lolly Gepson Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Outside in the cold/ Hear the wind rattle/ Stay in the barn/ Keep warm with the cattle." Atmospheric lines by the late, legendary author begin this story of the gathering in of winter on a farm, illustrated with finely developed paintings by Caldecott Medalist Pinkney. Mice, which have spent the summer in the fields, scurry into the hayloft, and the horses follow, their breath rising "like smoke" in the cold air. In the warm barn, a calf is born, and the farmer (who has brown skin and dark hair) and his dog welcome it: "'Winter Morn will be her name,' said Jonathan, the farmer, as he rubbed down her silky little curly coat." Brown describes the cozy animal activity with reassuring, repeating lines that wander unevenly between poetry and prose. Pinkney paints the animals with affection, warmth, and remarkable vitality evident in every carefully observed detail: the way the hair lies on a cow's snout, the spread of a cardinal's feathers just before landing. Like the barn itself, Pinkney's paintings offer a warm refuge for readers to return to. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
This cozy (previously unpublished) story from the late, legendary Margaret Wise Brown opens and closes with the same playful rhyme: Here is the barn / Hear the wind rattle / Open the door / And see all the cattle. Winter is approaching, and its time for all the animals on the farm to move into the big warm barn. Browns evocative text includes the sights, sounds, and textures of the farmyard both inside and outside the barnthe horses breath in the cold air, swallows chirping in the barn rafters, and a calfs silky little curly coat. The focus is on the animals (field mice, horses, birds, bats, cows, and more)and hand-lettered text occasionally mimics their soundsbut we do briefly see the farmer and his son. Many of the perspectives in the earth-toned, full-bleed double-page spreads are tightly framed, as if Pinkney is inviting us to step into the barn for a close-up look. (In an appended note, the artist writes that his lush and textured illustrations were inspired by three particular paintings: The Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks, Haystack in the Snow by Grant Wood, and Young Bull by Andrew Wyeth.) In two closing spreads, we see the animals huddled together in the barn, Pinkneys illustrations creating an atmosphere of warmth and tranquility, making this a particularly good bedtime read. All the animals are safe, snug, and ready for sleep, even as the wind howls outside in the snow (WHOOOO). julie Danielson (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Creatures large and small take shelter together in a warm barn in this evocative collaboration with text by Brown and illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Pinkney.The first few pages are related in rhyming text, while the illustrations set the scene with a traditional red barn and fall leaves blowing in a gusty wind. The text then shifts to prose that describes various animals coming into the barn, including field mice, horses, bats, and goats. A calf is born in the barn, and the brown-skinned farmer names her Winter Morn. The farmer's son, who has brown skin and black, Afro-textured hair, is shown milking a cow on the final spread, where the opening rhyming lines are repeated. The text is lyrical and atmospheric though not as exceptional as some of Brown's better-known works. Pinkney's luminous watercolor-and-pastel illustrations create a cozy environment for the animals, using a double-page-spread format, a large trim size, and a thoughtful design. Tiny details are hidden in the pages, such as a grasshopper perched on a dried cornstalk and a line of ants marching toward the barn, and sound effects from some of the animals are also integrated into the illustrations. An artist's note gives interesting, specific details about Pinkney's artistic process.The gentle, descriptive text and appealing illustrations succeed in establishing an atmosphere of a warm, crowded, noisy barn where everyone is safe and sheltered. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
