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Story of a Farm
By following the changes in one house over centuries the development of farm life in England is depicted.
72 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 1989
63 people want to read
About the author
John S. Goodall
116 books35 followersJohn S. Goodall (7 June 1908 – 2 June 1996) was a British author, watercolour painter and illustrator, best known for his wordless picture books such as The Adventures of Paddy Pork, although his output included more conventional pictures, and illustrations for a wide range of publications (including the Radio Times) and books by the "fictitious village schoolmistress Miss Read". Goodall became one of England's most beloved artists due to the subject matter of his works, the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 10, 2016
A journey through time all about English farm life; early Middle Ages,
WWll, post war, to modern day.
WWll, post war, to modern day.
January 5, 2018
I love wordless picture books, and John Goodall's work is great. The watercolors depicting a piece of property in a rural area in England from the Middle Ages up to World War 2 give a real sense of the atmosphere and the changes that take place over time.
However, for a book meant to depict slow changes through a long period of time, there is not enough predictability to the time lapse between page turns. Some seem to be later the same day, others are clearly decades later, or have moved from the view of the one property/house to the town square down the road, the hill above the town, two different interiors of a house, then back outside.
Even the half-pages are not as consistent as young readers probably need to fully understand what has changed - a house is remodeled to accommodate a larger barn, but did the house also get smaller?
While it's beautiful, it doesn't have a logical, sequential order other than moving forward through rough eras of history.
However, for a book meant to depict slow changes through a long period of time, there is not enough predictability to the time lapse between page turns. Some seem to be later the same day, others are clearly decades later, or have moved from the view of the one property/house to the town square down the road, the hill above the town, two different interiors of a house, then back outside.
Even the half-pages are not as consistent as young readers probably need to fully understand what has changed - a house is remodeled to accommodate a larger barn, but did the house also get smaller?
While it's beautiful, it doesn't have a logical, sequential order other than moving forward through rough eras of history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2019
BEAUTIFUL illustrations that made me so nostalgic. This book is the definition of Hygge. Picture book that portrays a European farm starting in the middle ages and going to modern day. I can see Tolkien reading this book to his children.
August 10, 2022
John Goodall’s picture books feature only detailed paintings and no text. This book traces the history of a farm from its beginning as huts in the middle ages, through the house and out buildings as they develop through the Elizabethan, Georgian, Regency, and Victorian eras, the war years, up to the present day. A wide book, each illustration has a two-page spread with a half-page in the middle that transforms the picture. For example, one picture shows the new cow barn, turn the half page and the cows are replaced with horses and a renovation to a horse barn. There are also scenes of harvesting hay, market day, a country dance, etc.
The transformed picture is not always precise, but the effect is creative and interesting. The house also doesn’t change a great deal through the eras, but the book instead shows various domestic period activities, like laundry or making cheese. The illustrations are detailed, with plenty to take in and with only a list at the beginning of what the images are showing, it would be easy for a reader to project their own story onto the work.
The transformed picture is not always precise, but the effect is creative and interesting. The house also doesn’t change a great deal through the eras, but the book instead shows various domestic period activities, like laundry or making cheese. The illustrations are detailed, with plenty to take in and with only a list at the beginning of what the images are showing, it would be easy for a reader to project their own story onto the work.
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March 1, 2024I'm not sure I understand the concept here... beautiful illustrations, but I miss the words to help me know what is happening in each scene!?
October 15, 2024
This book thrills the adult along with the child. It’s a picture book but is such a delight to follow the years going by.
June 10, 2024
I have become completely obsessed with these weird little books. The pictures are awesome. There is no text. My favorite of all are the ones where it is one place through time, but seeing home the rich lived pre WWI is fun too lol.
July 2, 2020
5 stars
This book proves that you don't need words to tell a story. My younger brother and I loved this book when are were little. We would make up stories to go with the pictures and ask questions about the different time periods.
This book proves that you don't need words to tell a story. My younger brother and I loved this book when are were little. We would make up stories to go with the pictures and ask questions about the different time periods.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews