Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary

by Maya Gottfried, Robert Rahway Zakanitch (Illustrator)

Maya the cow, J.D. the piglet, Hilda the sheep, and a dozen more animals all speak directly to the reader, showing off their unique personalities in this wonderful collection of poems. Master watercolorist Robert Rahway Zakanitch provides a portrait that perfectly captures the essence of each creature. Together the poems and paintings add up to a picture of life on the friendliest farm around.

Maya Gottfried based her poems on real animals from Farm Sanctuary, a safe haven for injured or abused farm animals with locations in New York and California.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Art, Vegan, Nonfiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan]

I love the organization Farm Sanctuary. I’ve been to the Orland, California location twice. I think Bonnie the donkey in this book was from Orland. But most of the animals featured are, I think, from the original Watkins Glen, New York location.

So, re this book: I wanted to like it more than I did. I appreciated the author’s note for grown-ups at the back of the book, I enjoyed the illustrations very much, but I wasn’t that fond of the poems. While they do capture each species of animal sufficiently well, I just wasn’t wild about them. Also, the fact that the are presented as by the animal vs. simply from their perspective, didn’t work that well for me.

That said, I would recommend this book for vegan children, children who have visited or have an upcoming visit to Farm Sanctuary or any of the many other sanctuaries for farmed animals, and it would be a good tool for humane education classes.

My four star rating is for the attempt and the value of the book, and for the illustrations. The poems I’d give 2 or 3 stars to most, but don’t bring the book down below 3-1/2 stars, so I’m going up vs. down a half star rating because it’s Farm Sanctuary! And, it’s appropriate for the youngest child. I’d read the author’s note to children aware of the issues.

[Hanna]

Such a cure read about animals at an animal sanctuary, in poem form. Does not describe what they were saved from, but a note at the end about the inspiration for the book.

[Karen Witzler]

Abused or abandoned farm animals find a home at Farm Sanctuary. In this children's picture book each anthropomorphized animal is paired with a poem describing their sweet, free life at the sanctuary. Appealing.

[Taylor Kundel-Gower]

The beautiful poems, the watercolors! I can't speak highly enough of this book! It makes me feel so happy for the safe, loved farm animals at animal sanctuaries, but reminds me that most farm animals are abused, tortured and slaughtered. More sanctuaries, less slaughterhouses!

[Corri Moran]

This book includes poems told in perspective of different (real) animals of Farm Sanctuary. Each poem shows the personality of the animal and the free, fun, loving home they are provided. Each poem is unique and written differently.

I love this book because the poems are about real animals and can spread awareness if the reader is interested in animals, but doesn't make it about the negative. Instead, the poems are about the happy lives these animals live because of Farm Sanctuary and each poem is paired with a beautiful painting of the animal.

This book can be paired with Don't Let Them Disappear, or any animal rights books.

"Don't make a move. I haven't decided whether you are to be trusted."

[Carol Farrington]

The illustrations are gorgeous. I think this book would be a great way to introduce preschoolers to poetry that isn’t nursery rhymes or songs. Many kids love animals so the illustrations would catch their attention and the poems are short and perfect for their attention span.

[Mary Lee]

Recommended by Amy LV for the students in the class I visited who wrote a poem from the POV of a pig!

[Mason King]

An imaginative and fun to learn book about the lives of our animals. There were things that I did not know about different animals before I read this and I am proud of it.

[Karen Arendt]

I came across this book by accident browsing new books at the public library. And, how strange, but just last Sunday there was an article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle about the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen. The poems are short and so perfectly suited the to personalities of the animals at the Farm Sanctuary. I loved the poems! The illustrations are a combination of bright or muted colors, depending on the animal. The artwork also include pencil sketches of the animals on the page with an illustration of the animal. Just an adorable piece of work, but also useful for poetry units as well. The local connection to the FInger Lakes doesn't hurt either, as well as a little education in animal kindness.

[Peacegal]

This is a gentle picture book that celebrates rescued animals while at the same time being light and appealing to all ages and backgrounds. The artwork is realistic and charming, though I'm not a fan of the sketchbook-style "extras" that frame the main images and the text.

Our Farm would be an excellent choice for public and school libraries. I purchased a copy for mine.

[d4]

I love the illustrations. The poems didn't do much for me, but I'm a little over the age of the intended audience anyway. I wish there was something more to inform children what exactly is special about these animals--that their lives are not typical of farm animals--other than a brief note to adults at the end.

[Mary]

My 4-year-old daughter loves this book. Her favorite poems from it are "Freedom" by JD the piglet and "It's Good to be a Kid" by Ari and Alicia (2 young goats). It's a fun read, and Farm Sanctuary is a wonderful organization.

[Shelli]

Beautiful!

[reading is my hustle]

Enchanting and wonderful.

[Allison]

Didn't like the activist slant.

[Gail Marton]

A wonderful selection of poetry for the young as a companion to Fairfield's "One Book, One Read, 2011."

[Carissa]

The illustrations are what makes this book great. The poems are eh.

[Hilary]

I liked some of the poems, but I didn't really like the illustrations. Some of the pictures were nice, but overall it had an unfinished feel.

[Julie]

Poems about farm life, told from the animals' perspective. Beautiful watercolors.

[Marta Veenhof]

Each animal has an individual poem. A spin off for children from the book Farm Sanctuary.