Farmhouse, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2022. $23.99 ages 7 and up

 

"and whispered secrets.
played truth or dare,
and lost their teeth
and brushed their hair, 
where they kept collections 
of tiny toy cars
and feathers and bones
and movie stars, 
where they hung prize ribbons
for champion cows 
that lived in the barn 
behind the house"

Sophie Blackall is a wonder; here, she proves it once more. In an author's note she tells her readers that she has a penchant for old things that tell stories. When she bought an old barn and the farmhouse that was also on the property, she decided to try to learn its stories before the excavator came to bury the house underground. Some things she found there that belonged to the Swantak family of long ago provided the inspiration and the materials used to create this remarkable homage to the past, the house itself and the family who lived there.

The illustrations for this book were created using Chinese ink, watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, as well as materials salvaged from a falling-down nineteenth-century farmhouse in New York State: wallpaper, composition books, newspapers, brown-paper bags, clothing, handkerchiefs, curtains and string. 

What a treat readers are in for as they pore over each fascinating double page spread created by this incomparable artist. It begins with the setting: rolling hills, patchwork fields, wildflowers and the farmyard. Twelve children lived there with their parents. Their daily activities are lovingly captured in images that clearly show those reading what life must have been like for them.  

The text is rhythmic and most enjoyable to read. The textured illustrations are collaged in layers that reflect the house's history. The countless details are impressive, ensuring constant attention and discussion. Cross-sections hint at how many of the rooms may have looked when the large family took up all its space. There is a complete awareness for the changes that happen over time. Imagining the house's many celebrations and stories gives readers a real sense of what survived there over the years as it fell into disrepair. 

Tender and charming, stirring and superb, this book will be shared numerous times - deservedly so.