Down by the Barn

by Will Hillenbrand, Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

Overview

Down by the barn, early in the morning, a farmer drives his tractor, stopping along the way to pick up a calf, then a chick, then a pig. The group of animals grows and grows until at last they reach their destination…and find a surprise. Charming illustrations and rhythmic text filled with sound words make this the perfect read-aloud for young children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781477847312
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	05/20/2014
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,096,635
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Will Hillenbrand wrote and illustrated Down by the Barn in response to fans of Down by the Station, who wished for a companion book.

Will has written and/or illustrated more than 50 books.

He lives with his wife, Jane, and their son, Ian, in Terrace Park, Ohio. To learn more, visit: www.willhillenbrand.com

Editorial Reviews

03/24/2014
Fifteen years after his Down by the Station, Hillenbrand offers a cheerful companion book that transplants the familiar nursery rhyme to a rural setting. There’s still a train of sorts involved—it’s a tractor piloted by a farmer dog with a pair of wagons serving as train cars. A scarecrow with a wide smile is the first to board, and he’s quickly followed by various baby animals who clamber aboard, adding cumulative sound effects to the end of each verse (“Puff, Puff,/ click, clank,/ moo, moo,/ OFF WE GO!”). The one-syllable animal names that are swapped in for the word “station” aren’t quite as melodious to sing aloud (“Down by the goats/ early in the morning”), but Hillenbrand’s smudgy-edged mixed-media artwork offers plenty of diversions, including a tense moment when a fox pounces at a yellow chick that has wandered off. The fox situation is handled with a well-aimed bucket to the head, and the story ends on a peaceful note, with the scarecrow leading story time for a group of young humans and animals. Ages 3–5. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Fifteen years after his Down by the Station, Hillenbrand offers a cheerful companion book that transplants the familiar nursery rhyme to a rural setting.” —Publishers Weekly

“The bright and cheerful illustrations feature a cast of endearing animals and lots of humorous details. The exuberant art, combined with the pattern and repetition in the text, makes this a perfect read aloud.” —School Library Journal

“This exuberant companion book to Hillenbrand’s Down by the Station will garner as many fans as the first.” —Booklist

“An upbeat book with a delightful chorus.” —Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

06/01/2014
PreS-K—Fans of Hillenbrand's Down by the Station (Houghton Harcourt, 2002), in which young zoo animals board a train, will appreciate this companion title. In this cheerful story, young animals riding in carts behind a tractor meet up with a group of children disembarking from a school bus for storytime on the farm. The simple yet comforting text contains repetitive phrases, such as "See the tractor driver pull his little lever…" and invites youngsters to join the reader in making the ever-lengthening sounds of the passengers as they board the tractor ("Puff, Puff, click, clank, moo, moo, peep, peep, OFF WE GO!"). The story even contains a moment of dramatic tension when a fox, which has been watching the animals on every page, leaps out to grab a chick. He is put in his place and ends up listening to storytime with the other animals and children. The bright and cheerful illustrations feature a cast of endearing animals and lots of humorous details. The exuberant art, combined with the pattern and repetition in the text, makes this a perfect read aloud.—Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA

School Library Journal