"I am a barn.
My cows chomp on tall, rich grass,
shooing flies with their swishing tails.
And the dogs romp and wrestle in my outstretched fields,
never seeming to tire of their joyous play."
Narrated by a sturdy red barn, this poetic homage to that familiar part of many farmyards presents the daily routines of a building that is emblematic of earlier, peaceful, and profitable farming operations.
The reassuring voice describes its beginnings, and the many hands that worked to construct it. The barn's day begins in warm sunshine. Inside, the animals are eager to begin their day with needed food, and an immediate release to a new day. The scenes are bucolic, showing the farm from various perspectives on full-color, double-page spreads that invite careful consideration of the many details of farm life.
"I am a barn.
A cat lurks in a distant field,
crouching to catch her unsuspecting dinner,
while I cradle her kittens in a bed of discarded blankets.
They lie wrapped together like tangled yarn,
waiting for their twilight milk."
The language has much appeal for the senses; an invitation for young liseners to create mind pictures for the events being depicted. It invites a quiet, careful reading for those sharing it to delight in the pastoral descriptions. Throughout the day and into the early evening, the farm operates as it is meant to do. The fields are inviting; the animals are safe and cared for; the day slips slowly into dusk when all animals return to the warmth and comfort of their home. Sleep comes peacefully as the barn calms, and night falls - all ready to begin again with the rising of tomorrow's sun.
Ah, sweet comfort! What a lovely debut for Leah Rogers, and what warm and inviting scenes from the deft hand of Barry Root.
Older readers might find this documentary of interest.
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