Let's Go to the Farm

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Based on the acclaimed video of the same name, this picture book boasts a pleasing design and a bounty of information about life on a working dairy farm. Hired hand cum narrator Mac sets a friendly, conversational tone, addressing readers directly ("Have you ever been in a dairy barn?") as he leads the guided tour, which covers a full year of chores as well as fun, from plowing, milking and haying to maple sugaring (this is Vermont, after all), sledding and even a visit to the swimming hole. The layout mimics a photo album, with smaller inset illustrations overlapping a single larger one. Each spread is assigned a heading ("Winter Fun," "Baby Calves," etc.) and set against a boldly colored backdrop. Rural scenes brim with a Norman Rockwell wholesomeness. Created directly from video stills, the pictures have force but the artistic interpretation can be a bit odd, blurring characters' faces. That's a minor caveat, however, in this otherwise deft metamorphosis from video to print. Ages 3-7. (Mar.)