A Guest Is a Guest

by John Himmelman

Chaos prevails when the barnyard animals decide to live in the house with Farmer Beanbuckets and his family

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Picture Books, Animals, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 1991

About the author

John Himmelman is the author and illustrator of more than sixty books for children, including Chickens to the Rescue. He lives in Connecticut with his family.

According John's Facebook page, he has been "making up stories and scribbling pictures since I could hold a crayon in my hand. It became my job in 1981, when my first book, "Talester the Lizard" was published during my last year in college (School of Visual Arts)....It behooves a writer to try and turn what interests them into their work. I've been fortunate to do that with my love of nature, with books - for adults and children - focusing on different natural history topics."

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days." ~ Benjamin Franklin

In an attempt to be hospitable, the Beanbucket family ends up hosting an entire barnyard-full of critters in their home. Apparently everyone likes to curl up and binge-watch Netflix.

Cute story, with nice illustrations by the author.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Himmelman has written a warm hearted classic kid's story that's down on the farm and as corn fed as a Stouffer's beef pot pie. It's that good.
The Beanbuckets family are the embodiment of kindness to others and to their menagerie of farm animal buddies. But when favorite piggy Oliver gets all riled up over hearing they'll take him tobe turned into something pork product related, the son decides to save him and take him to his bedroom. Of course the other pigs get lonesome and are also invited inside, since they neither want their Oliver or Oliver's human friend to feel unsafe. Mr Beanbuckets figures that a guest is a guest is a guest, so why not let the piggies stay on the farm. Too bad the other farm animals get jellin and move in as well, and soon they have taken over the TV, the kitchen, even the bathroom, ultimately chasing the Beanbuckets outa both house and home! Can the Beanbuckets negotiate, before the whole farm....say it.... buys the farm? It's a funny farm story of a truly funny farm. It ain't Green Acres....it's greener and better!
Four stars
In case you mighta "guest", Himmelman is one of the best!!!

[McKenzie Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a silly fun story to it. There is a family who lives on the farm and treats their animals just the same as humans, so when the pigs come to sleep, they get fed breakfast just the same as the mom and dad and son in the story until things get a little out of hand and things have to change.

This would be a good read aloud in K-1 or an independent read for 2-3rd. The moral of the story is very important in the story, and I think would be a good lesson to teach and also the difference of identifying fiction vs non-fiction would be good to practice for students with this book.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book shows than virtues, even the virtue of hospitality, can be taken too far.

**Talking points - What virtues can sometimes be vices in what situations? When does a person need to put their foot down?

[Abby Wheelwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was silly and fun. I red it to my kids, and they enjoyed it. I did, too, although I don't want to read it again, because it's a kid book.

[Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I kinda like this book. It teaches several lessons and if you know anything about me is that I like books for kids that teach lessons.

First, we have the Beanbucket family who lives on a farm. The son Billy has a friend on the farm. A little piglet named Oliver. Billy asks his mom and dad if he can have a friend over for a sleep-over. The parents say sure...as long as the other child's mom and dad approve. Little did they know that Billy was referring to his only friend, Oliver.

First lesson. Billy sneaks out at night and takes Oliver away from his parents to come and have a sleep over. Oliver has no issue with this as he is best buds with Billy. But Oliver's parents wake up to find that Oliver was gone. So they head to the house to see if Oliver is there...sure enough all the pigs come in and bunk with Billy and Oliver. Now, Farmer BeanBucket is kind and when Mrs. Beanbucket asks, "what should we do"...His kindness comes out in the saying, "A guest is a guest, we must show them our best." So there is the first lesson. Kindness and respect.

As you can imagine, things escalate. Which leads us to the second lesson...sometimes, kindness can go too far. All of the barn animals wanted to get in on this hospitality but there came a point where Farmer Beanbucket felt it had gone too far.

I am not going to give out spoilers here as to what happens next. But lets just say that this was a delightful book to read and full of humor. It is very well illustrated and the print is large enough for the young reader to sound out the words as they are reading the book. A young reader can read this book on their own or an adult can read the book to them...either way works.

This is a good book for kids....

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A guest is a guest, and we must show them our best, but when enough is enough, you have to get tough!"- Farmer Beanbuckets

The Beanbuckets basically were too nice. Being nice is always good but you must set down rules or the pigs will eat all your food and the horses and cows will take over the television! This is a fun book that my family has always loved. It all started when Billy invited the piglet Oliver up to his room for the night for a sleepover, and from there it turned into a farm party.

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite line from the book: "A guest is a guest, and we must show them our best, but when enough is enough, you have to get tough!"

[Bridget]

On the hardcover shelf

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers basic principles of having guests in your home. It shows that no matter who your guest is, you should always show respect.