Chirp, chip, chip, chip.
Mill wheel turns,
Drip, drip, drop, drip.
Tap, tap, tap,
Papa shoes the mare.
Peep, peep. Chicks
Running here and there."
It's always such fun to share books that are filled with sound with little kids. They are soon chanting along and wanting to take the book and try it on their own. That is what inspires them to be lifelong readers...finding books that make reading fun!
In this celebration of a farming life, those young kids will find much to attract their attention and invite participation. It feels like music when you are reading along and the sound effects make that reading great fun! It must begins, as all days do, with the rooster! He crows an early alarm and wakes the family to the business of the day. Smells of ham frying and fresh cinnamon rolls have them tripping over each other to get to the breakfast table. Once fed, they are off to help with chores and delight in the songs and sounds of nature.
This idyllic look at farm life from an earlier time shows the many aspects of the daily work that sustained a family. The rhythmic language had my toes tapping and me reading it aloud to myself while imagining sharing it in a classroom filled with eager listeners. Hopefully, no one was walking past wondering what I was doing. As we join the family in their day's work, we share their joy and wonder.
The watercolor illustrations hearken back to a time when the whole family played a role in keeping the farm viable and productive. Each page is detailed and alive with the daily doings of an industrious family. They evoked memories for me of summer visits to my Saskatchewan relatives. The work was never done, but fun was always on the horizon. No carpets on the floors, dishwashers, clothes dryers, iPads, computers or television sets to distract family members from finding pleasure in being together, and expressing satisfaction in a job well done at the end of the day.
If you, like me, spent time on a farm in the 1950s you will recognize much of what it was to live and take joy from being self-sufficient and happy with your lot in life. Kids will love it, but are sure to wonder how children back then could possibly lead such a media-deprived life.
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