Funny Farm

by Mark Teague

Hawthorne Farm is a funny farm, a good-humored farm, a farm that is chock full of fun!

Award-winning author/illustrator Mark Teague creates a farm with a sense of humor. Readers will laugh out loud when Cousin Edward arrives from the city to help out on the farm. The cows, pigs, and sheep have been waiting for Cousin Edward to visit Hawthorne Farm. The fun is never ending as Edward tries his best to milk the cows, tend the sheep, feed the pigs, plant the garden, and much more. It is truly a day that Edward will never forget!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Humor, Storytime, Fiction, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Mark Teague has delighted young readers with more than 20 picture books, and he has written many of them himself, including the popular Pigsty, Baby Tamer, and One Halloween Night. He is also the illustrator of Cynthia Rylant's beloved Poppleton series for beginning readers and the best-selling books by Jane Yolen, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight and How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon.

Mark Teague's life changed when he moved from San Diego to New York City and he planted the seed for his first picture book, The Trouble with the Johnsons. Each of Teague's books start as "notebooks full of sketches and scribbles, strange little drawings and phrases that suddenly come together," Teague explains. And although he had no formal writing training, his endless imagination and understanding nature gives him a permanent place in the hearts of everyone.

Mark and his wife live in Coxsackie, New York, with their young daughter Lily, who has a great time watching her dad paint the pictures in his books.

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, but not actually funny. I'd recommend it for preschoolers.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the Spring Edward visits his Aunt and Uncle on their farm. He spends the day doing all kinds of things and seeing all kinds of creatures.

This isn’t as funny as I would expect coming from Mark Teague, in fact it’s not really funny at all. The pictures are engaging and children might laugh at what’s depicted but the text and story line are flat, which I found disappointing.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a definite disconnect between the illustrations and the story. The story needs a lot of work unless the idea was for everything to seem normal although the farm was run by animals. In that case... I still didn't like it.

[Kelly]

The cover is probably the best part because it is a play on that painting of the man with the pitchfork and the woman - both on the farm. I liked the illustrations a lot and when the other animals laughed at the main character because he was taking care of the farm when usually humans do that. I didn't like that it was called "Funny Farm" but the author never made reference to people or how it is funny.

[Derek · Rating 2 out of 5]

A weird Animal Farm moment late in the book where the anthropomorphic dogs--the farm's owners--sit down to a huge ham dinner, while an (anthropomorphic) pig gazes happily, and voyeuristically, in the window.

On the next page, the pigs and dogs join up for a barn dance.

I am not sure how to explain this to my son. "Yes, son, tomorrow they will meet as enemies. But tonight, they DANCE!"

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures are funny but rest of it.... Well I expected a lot more from Mark Teague. I was really hoping he would really make me laugh on this one and I am still trying to make it funny in my head. Great cover! Ages 2+

[Sam Bloom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, it's a farm, but what makes this funny? I like Mark Teague's illustrations a lot, but other than that this book is pretty weak.

[Scarlett Mirano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very funny

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward goes to visit his aunt, uncle and cousin at Hawthorne Farm. The book covers a day of his visit, he gets to milk cows, feed pigs gather eggs, make maple syrup, plow and paint a barn among other activities. The story makes it sound simple, but the pictures tell the real tale of Edwards day. :)

This is a short, beautifully illustrated story that will interest kids around ages 3-5. I won't lie, the illustrations make this book. There is not a lot of words, but the younger ones are more all about the pictures anyway. There is about a sentence per page, but the illustrations will have kids LAUGHING and open up lots of room for parents/adults to ask questions. Why? What? Who? What do you think happens next? Why did he do that? Please make sure, to always TALK about what you read with your child and just read it. (Yes, that was the teacher in me..sorry)

I think this would be a book geared towards boys and animal lovers. I'm sure girls would love it too, but it has a boy main character and I know that makes boys pay more attention.

[Today We Did · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today We Did
Edward visits Hawthorne Farm for the first time. His uncle, aunt and cousin show him how to help about the farm, by collecting eggs, feeding the pigs, painting the barn, and herding the sheep. The fact that Edward and his family are dogs running a farm is only the first of many odd things at Hawthorne Farm!

Funny Farm is a simple story of a day on the farm, just that the farm is a little different to most. The text was clear and easy to read, with just one sentence per scene; great for younger children. Each page was full of colourful and detailed illustrations full of interesting and unusual things.

My preschoolers thought Funny Farm was pretty good. They liked all the strange things, such as the pigs playing on the swings, the bugs ploughing their own small field, and the sheep brushing their teeth at the water trough. They laughed quite a lot when Edward got chased by the rooster and when he fell into the pig’s food trough! They are keen to read this book again.

Funny Farm is suitable for toddlers and preschoolers.

[Allison Linsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny Farm

Hawthorne Farm is a funny farm, a good-humored farm, a farm that is chock full of fun!

Award-winning author/illustrator Mark Teague creates a farm with a sense of humor. Readers will laugh out loud when Cousin Edward arrives from the city to help out on the farm. The cows, pigs, and sheep have been waiting for Cousin Edward to visit Hawthorne Farm. The fun is never ending as Edward tries his best to milk the cows, tend the sheep, feed the pigs, plant the garden, and much more. It is truly a day that Edward will never forget!

I loved this book! I loved the illustration and the silliness of the animals. I would definitely pick this book to read to my Kindergarteners, I know they would absolutely love it. Its silly and would lighten any mood in the classroom if the students were having a bad day. This book just shows the craziness of uncle Earls farm when Edward comes to visit. It shows the daily routine for the animals.

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beyond the odd racoon rabbit chariot or ant plowing a mini-field, let's ponder the pigs. The pigs continuously set Edward up for failure, constantly mocking him and arranging for his failure. In fact, I suspect it's the pigs who provided Edward with the yellow paint for the barn, and told him to dig a hole into a groundhog's tunnels. We see frivolity and joy at the dance, but who knows what the pigs will do next to poor Edward.

Also, we see the family eating meat at dinner. From the consumption of milk and eggs we know they're no vegans, but what are they eating? It looks like chicken, and yet later that night they're dancing with the very animals they just dined on. Messed up.

The scenes are amusingly drawn, with adorable details.

[Courtney Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny Farm is written by Mark Teague. This book is a great read for beginning readers. Although the words and sentences are mostly short and easy, the story line is actually relatively complex. Edward the dog visits the family farm. The book takes you through one day of Edward’s activities. Although the sentences on each page just state directly what it is that Edward is doing, the pictures tell a deeper story. The sentence might just say, Edward helps Uncle Earl plow the field. However, if the students analyze the picture, they see that very small on the page is Uncle Earl the ant, plowing a HUGE field while Edward watches in disbelief. The illustrations in this book are beyond incredible and the language makes the book enjoyable for all levels of readers.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teague, Mark Funny Farm (2009) Edward is the main character who goes to visit relatives on a farm. Edward learns about farm life during his stay. While the text on each page is simple for example “Judy helps Edward feed the pigs.” The illustrations are telling a more complicated and funny story. The illustrations add to the story in a humorous way and make it interesting. Each page has a story within the story that can be told in different ways. If used as a read aloud the reader can read the simple story and see if the children see another story in the illustrations. An other approach would be to read the text and then explain the action going on in the illustrations. This book is a fun and engaging read aloud for young children about farm life. Target audience 3-7 years old.

[Luci P · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book about a dog named Edward who visits him family on a farm and helps out around the farm. I did not like this book or think it would be beneficial in a classroom. The sentences in this book are extremely easy and repetitive. The sentences are all simple like, "Edward is very hungry at dinner". The pictures reflect the words in the book. All the animals are dressed in human clothes and do human activities. Because of this, I do not think students would understand the humor behind the pictures combined with the simplicity of the words. I believe this would not help students learn to read because they would not be engaged with this book.

[Armanda Campbell]

This book is not as funny as I thought that it would be because of the name, but it is a great book to use the first week of school. The main character visits his aunt and uncle on their farm and they show him how to participate in some of the daily duties. He doesn't do them with ease, but he enjoys himself nonetheless. It's us a great story to show students that although things may not go as planned on the first day, never give up. Keep trying!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story itself was just okay, the illustrations in this book are marvelous. Big, bold colors, wildly humorous depictions of farm animals in anthropomorphic settings and activities, and a sense of silliness and glee - it all translates into a lot of giggles when you read this book. It's a fun story to read aloud and our girls enjoyed it.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - White the minimal text in Funny Farm is not especially funny the illustrations, about half of them, are. Julia and I both laughed out loud more than a few times at some of the things in the background.
I'm not childrens author but I can't help but think with a little more imagination the writing could have added much to the book.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my 2-year-old. The story isn't much, but the pictures are funny and cute. Entertaining for a 2-year-old. We bought this on a Scholastic book pack with the CD for my 7-year-old. It's not one he reads/listens to, and now I know why. Again, the pictures are darling and worth looking through the book.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this adventure, Edward the dog spends a day on the farm being quite "helpful". The words/story itself doesn't make the farm that funny but the illustrations show that more is going on. For example, Edward gathers the eggs from the henhouse...but he is then chased by e hens and most likely drops one or more eggs as he runs pell-mell for the house.

[Levi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has fantastic colorful pictures, and the Edward and the other animals are always doing funny things. I don't pick it to read as much as Mommy thought, but she thinks I might like it more when I can really understand what the silly animals are doing and why its funny. It was lots of fun to borrow and read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny Farm by Mark Teague gives a unique perspective on the common theme of "farm books"! Readers will mostly likely be amused by the humorous life of the animals on the farm. As the visitor from the city comes to the farm, the reader may also join in the visitors surprise of what life is really like on the farm. The illustrations were very bright and detailed!

[Spencer Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because I think it can easily relate to students who have never been to a farm and they may have relatives who have a farm that they go to or vis versa. I like the illustrations and how they tell a story all on their own and the cover looks like an old famous painting. This book is animal fantasy and is in the kindergarten-2nd grade range

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward makes a visit to Hawthorne Farm and witnesses lots of funny and strange behaviors among the animals there. This book would best be enjoyed by kids with time to sit and pore over the funny hidden details in the illustrations.

[Paula]

Crisp artwork good for read aloud. Edward, the dog, visits and helps with the chores. Dogs are the main characters with human characteristics...my new word of the day "anthropomorphic". Vocabulary on the higher level.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This probably would have worked better as a wordless picture book. There isn't much of a plot and the text does little to enhance the story. However, the imaginative illustrations tell a quirky tale of a city dog visiting his country cousins.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had very beautiful illustrations. In the book it talked about everything Edward did on the farm. It was funny because Edward was a dog who was in charge of the farm. We all know dogs do not complete farm tasks, people do! I think my children would get a kick out of this book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This merits a 4-star rating solely on the strength of the illustrations. The plot is barely a narrative, a tongue-in-cheek description of what is going on in the illustrations. The illustrations are colorful, exciting and most have a funny little thing to look for on each page.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of Author and illustrator Mark Teague's book "Funny Farm" at the library. The farm animals have quite a time showing their cousin Edward around the farm. Readers will enjoy the cute illustrations and will giggle at the events in the story.

[Cathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is extremely simple--just one short sentence every other page. Oh, but the illustrations are wonderful! They're funny, silly, clever, and detailed enough that you'll want to savor each page. You can't go wrong with a great Mark Teague book!