Midnight Farm

by Carly Simon, David Delamare (Illustrator)

There's a farm that I know Unlike any other farm As the sun goes down The air gets warm And the birds wake up And the wildflowers bloom And the sheep jitterbug Under a round rolling moon. One hot summer night, two young boys wake from their sleep to the sound of hoots and howls--what's going on? Looking out their window, they discover that "the joint is jumping"! It may be time to sleep everywhere else, but on this Martha's Vineyard farm all the animals and vegetation come out for a nighttime celebration. The boys are invited to join in, as the midnight choir is about to begin. The tulip conductor tries to get down to work, but the rest of the crowd is going berserk! Canteloupes are laughing, and onions are doing a jig, while an old apple tree plays a driftwood guitar and the hogs chase the pigs. Eventually the morning arrives, though, and the fun is over for the night. But not for long...

Genres: Childrens, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer/songwriter and musician. She is also an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and two-time Grammy Award winner. Simon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice idea -- the farm animals having night time concerts and parties -- but terrible execution. The text is an awfully written, overly-long "poem" (implausibly presented as the narration of a 5-year-old) and the illustrations look like they were whipped up using Photoshop. They're not stylistically hideous, but they look fake and as if the illustrator didn't care about the project at all.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few children's books that I cherish as not only a story but an absolute piece of art...this is one of those few. (And yes, this would be the same Carly Simon who sang of "two hot girls on a hot summers night.") The words in the book are lyrical and enticing. The pictures parallel them and make the words whole. Best of all, it truly captures the essence of imagination and the magic that we all found so possible when we were young. It evokes and embraces the nostalgia of childhood that all so often creates fantastic memories of a special place and time.

[Darian - Books With A Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my son before bed, I know we both loved it. The story is written in a cute poem like form and he loved all the pictures of the different animals. It’s silly and I feel after reading it kids will have more to their imagination. What do the animals and plants around us do while we’re sleeping? Having pets and a garden I hope my kids imagine something silly like this.

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Delamare's illustrations are actually what drew me to this book. The story was cute and I do like to read books like Dr. Seuss that are in poetic form. This was a bit longer poem to page so not as short and sing songy as I like, but cute nevertheless.

The idea is adorable, the illustrations are beautiful and add so much to the story.

[Lins Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my entire childhood and I still read it to this day. The illustrator is brilliant and I have his art in my bedroom.

[Lins Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite childhood book and artist! So much love in this book!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son’s favorite book as a three year old.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Delamare's illustrations! They really helped the story pop. Simon's simg-song, rhyming story created a magical and fun reading experience. Definitely read this one aloud and spend time enjoying the illustrations.

[Juits · Rating 5 out of 5]

love kids books that rhyme, this is magic.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

my all time favorite childrens book, a must if you have kids.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great illustrations, however the text leaves much to be desired. I love Carly Simon, but some of those rhymes are pretty dodgy.