Barnyard Lullaby

by Frank Asch

Although the farmer only hears animal noises, when the different barnyard animals sing lullabies to their respective children, the babies understand the words

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Frank Asch is an American children's writer, best known for his Moonbear picture books.

Asch published his first picture book, George's Store, in 1968. The following year he graduated from Cooper Union with a BFA. Since then he has taught at a public school in India, as well as at a Montessori school in the United States, conducted numerous creative workshops for children. He has written over 60 books, including Turtle Tale, Mooncake, I Can Blink and Happy Birthday Moon. In 1989 he wrote Here Comes the Cat! in collaboration with Vladimir Vagin. The book was awarded the Russian National Book Award and was considered the first Russian-American collaboration on a children's book.

Asch lived in Somerville, New Jersey where he and his wife home-schooled their son Devin.

He currently lives in Vermont with his wife, Jan.

Reviews

[Hailey Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: contemporary realistic
Reading Level: lower elementary

This book would be a good bedtime story that I could read to my own kids some day. I️t was a good read and the animals each have their own lullaby to their babies so that could make the children enjoy the book more.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The farmer only hears animal noises when the different barnyard animals sing lullabies to their respective children. But there is someone else who is listening, too. Includes music.

[Caroline]

Caroline, this is one of your favorites! Whenever we ask you, "what does the farmer say?" you put your hands over your ears because the farmer thinks the animals are too loud.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I could do without the unpolished-looking illustrations, this book has a thought-provoking message that I can get behind. The premise of the book is that the animals are singing lovely lullabies to each of their babies, but to the farmer is just sounds like noise. Then the farmer's child wakes up, and his wife's lullaby to their son just sounds like noise to the animals outside.

So, good stuff here: Farm animals love their babies just as we love our own. What just sounds like bleats, moos, or clucks to us may have great meaning to the animal making the sounds.

It's a shame that real farms don't look and work like the one in this story, and the vast majority of farm animals never get to experience raising their young.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

One by one all the animals on the farm are singing their young to sleep - but to the farmer all he hears is noise. The lullabies the animals sing our lovely and the images of the babies snuggling convey the love between Mom and baby. Eventually the farmer yells, "Be Quiet!" and the barnyard quiets down, but unfortunately, it wakes his baby, and his wife sings her baby a special lullaby. My story time audience, babies and their adult partners, loved this one.

[Christy]

Z loved the singing