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Overview
When Farmer Gray takes a trip, Blue Goose, Red Hen, Yellow Chick and White Duck decide to paint their black-and-white farm. Red Hen paints the barn red and White Duck paints the fence white. Then Blue Goose and Yellow Chick pour their paint together to make green for the grass and trees. By the time Farmer Gray comes back, the whole farm is full of color—what a wonderful surprise! Incorporating primary and secondary colors, as well as animals, this is a simple and engaging way for young children to learn basic concepts.
Synopsis
When Farmer Gray goes away, Blue Goose, Red Hen, Yellow Chick, and White Duck decide to paint their black and white barnyard. Red Hen paints the barn red. White Duck paints the fence white. When Blue Goose and Yellow Chick mix their paints together they make green for grass and trees. By the time Farmer Gray returns the famr is filled with color. Focusing on primary and secondary colors, this story is a fun and friendly way for children to learn basic concepts. Now available as a sturdy board book, children can watch Farmer Gray's inhabitants paint their world again and again.
This 6 x 6 board book has 34 pages and rounded corners.
Publishers Weekly
-Starred Review-
Farmer Gray's homestead is as colorless as his name-even the sky and grass are gray. So, while he's away for the day, Blue Goose, Red Hen, Yellow Chick and White Duck get some paint and undertake a barnyard makeover. First they cover a few things in their signature colors-and what they redecorate can be surprising: "White Duck painted the fence white. And Yellow Chick painted all the flowers yellow." Next the animals mix the different colors (e.g., yellow and blue make green for the grass.) With a little teamwork, they're even able to paint the sun yellow (this image requires a vertical format so readers can fully savor the effort involved). Tafuri's (The Busy Little Squirrel) animal cast is creative, confident and diligent-there are no pratfalls into paint cans, no falling off of ladders. But the veteran author is more visually playful here than usual: the scenes have the bold, graphic punch of murals. As always, her generously sized animals and pithy text extend a warm welcome to readers, and make this celebration of color ideal for sharing either one-on-one or with a group. Ages 1-4. (Jan.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
Publishers Weekly
-Starred Review-Farmer Gray's homestead is as colorless as his name-even the sky and grass are gray. So, while he's away for the day, Blue Goose, Red Hen, Yellow Chick and White Duck get some paint and undertake a barnyard makeover. First they cover a few things in their signature colors-and what they redecorate can be surprising: "White Duck painted the fence white. And Yellow Chick painted all the flowers yellow." Next the animals mix the different colors (e.g., yellow and blue make green for the grass.) With a little teamwork, they're even able to paint the sun yellow (this image requires a vertical format so readers can fully savor the effort involved). Tafuri's (The Busy Little Squirrel) animal cast is creative, confident and diligent-there are no pratfalls into paint cans, no falling off of ladders. But the veteran author is more visually playful here than usual: the scenes have the bold, graphic punch of murals. As always, her generously sized animals and pithy text extend a warm welcome to readers, and make this celebration of color ideal for sharing either one-on-one or with a group. Ages 1-4. (Jan.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationChildren's Literature -
Think color wheel, and this boldly illustrated narrative about Blue Goose, Red Hen, Yellow Chick, and White Duck will make complete sense. When Farmer Gray is away, these representatives of the color wheel decide to paint their gray barnyard. Gray, of course, is a neutral color obtained by mixing non-colors white and black. Each animal paints a part of the barnyard from its own paint can of primary color. Then they team up to make secondary colors purple, orange and green and with a flourish finish doors, shutters, and grass. Even the sun and the sky do not escape their paintbrush. Before Farmer Gray returns, the barn is filled with color! This playful narrative will entertain and teach a child the basics of colors and color mixing. When night falls, Goose paints everything blue except for the moon. The muted colors find all the animals sleeping in the barn and might convince a young reader at bedtime to get ready for bed. The rhythmic, repetitive narrative may also encourage the first steps of early reading. Reviewer: Lilliam Oliva CollmannSchool Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1
While Farmer Gray is away, Blue Goose, Red Hen, Yellow Chick, and White Duck set out to paint their colorless barnyard. Reminiscent of Ellen Stoll Walsh's Mouse Paint (Harcourt, 1989), the animals begin by working alone, then pair up to fill in the white spaces for purple doors, orange shutters, and green grass. That evening, when the grinning farmer returns, all that's left to do is for Blue Goose to paint everything a dreamy nighttime blue-except the moon, of course. Done in brush pen, watercolor pencils, gouache, and ink, Tafuri's realistic illustrations evoke a calming pastoral setting. The critters are depicted in textured hues, making them stand out among the newly painted backdrops. This quiet celebration of team spirit and color concepts is no pioneer, but its oversize scenes, straightforward narrative, and endearing characters are ideal for storytime sharing.
—Gay Lynn Van VleckCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.